by Angela Muba
Are you a single writer planning to start your own family? Are you married and planning to build your career as a writer? Congratulations for the choice you are about to make but I can sense you have this fear of how to meet the demands of your family and that of your editors. On the one hand, you don’t want to forgo your career and on the other hand, you don’t want to be a bad example to your family. So many questions are running in your mind; how do I find time to write, do research, and take care of my family and so on. Don’t worry anymore for here are some tips that will enable you balance your writing career with family.
1) SET GOALS. Now that your desire is to satisfy your family and editor simultaneously, you need to set both family and writing goals. These goals will not only guide you as to when to write; it will also guide you as when to spent time with your family. Lets do it practical
Suggested Family Goals:
-Take family on vacation every Sunday
-Meet financial needs
-Give your children best education
Suggested Writing Goals:
- Post an article every week
- Read one book every week
-Take lessons on writing once every month
The above is just an example and yours might vary. So take a pen and write down your goals side by side and if one side out weight the other, you will then know where to draw the line for all to be satisfied.
2) COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FAMILY: With your goals clearly spelled out, you need to communicate with your family. Let them know your leisure and writing time. Let communication not only be verbal but financially as well; let them see the impact of your income from writing in the family. You can even create fun telling your children that if they disturb during your writing time, you will not take them out on their next outing.
3) BE DETERMINED: When you are able to do something over and over even though you find difficulties doing it, you are said to be determined. Balancing your family with writing it’s not a day’s job for you need to work hard. You have set your goals on paper; you have communicated it to your family, now go do it for that is the only way you can succeed. If one of your goals is to write during the early hours of the morning, set alarm and get up when it rings. Make sure the kids go to bed early for you to have some rest as well.
4) BE A GOOD THINKER: should you think about what you are to write only during the time you set for writing? NO. When doing your laundry or cooking or even resting, you can put your brain to work. Let your mind be open to gather ideas from things happening around you. Your kids can give you reasons to write or your colleagues’ and friends as you interact with them.
5) BE REALISTIC IN YOUR WRITING: I know you are wondering how being realistic in your writing got to do with reconciling writing with family. What I mean is to write about things happening around you. Create topics that will enable you do research around or why not together with your family. There are so many interesting topics you can get while spending time with your family. For example you can pick a topic like “how to be a good mother or father to your children”. Only this topic will give you the chance to work together with your children.
Reconciling writing and family has never been easy but the outcome is always amazing if you succeed. For you will serve as a model for many.
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