Deadlines and real life don’t mix. They can’t peacefully coexist. at least they can’t in my house. The minute I’m under deadline, chaos erupts and the world goes crazy.
This month is a perfect example. I have a July 1 deadline for a project which seemed to be on track and moving smoothly. Then i lost a day to a sick cat. It was just one day, so I didn’t really adjust my schedule. Then school was out for summer and it set me back a little bit. Nothing major, nothing I couldn’t handle. I set my projected completion date back a week.
The kid managed to present me with one minor emergency after the other, things that needed to be fixed now. Minute by minute, they took little bits of time and eroded my productivity until I was lucky if I wrote a whole page in a day. I suddenly found myself two weeks behind schedule.
I thought I had a respite. I shipped two off to grandma’s house for a few days to help with some yard projects and then the little one was due to head to band camp. Then the rain started and the older ones couldn’t do any work, and I took another look at the calender and realized band camp was the next week. Not only was I three weeks behind schedule, but I now only had three weeks to deadline.
Enter this week. Since I apparently didn’t have enough to worry about, I’m now planning a move. yes, I realize this is bad timing but I need to be in the new place before August so I don’t have to change schools.
So, I have a project that still has three weeks’ work to do and only one week in which to do it. Someone hold me before my head explodes.
What are your best tips for dealing with life and deadlines when you simply don’t have time to it all done?
Diamond State Romance Authors 
Remember…the most beautiful diamonds come from coal under pressure! Think how lovely you’ll be from all the pressure! 🙂
Well, Cyndi sure put a cheery spin on that. 🙂
I know the feeling of falling behind until it seems there is no digging out. So, you need a new plan. I’ll cross my fingers for sunshine and lots of things for the kids to do away from home! If you could even one day of total writing, you would be motivated to kick this project’s butt. Or at least I would.
Well hell, Cyndi, comment number one and it steals the show.
Breath deep, V, and let it go slowly. You’ve written beautiful stories before and I know you can do it now. Try escaping the house for one day. The boys are old enough to fend for themselves for eight hours. Lock yourself in a library writing room with your characters, a pillow to sit on and get to it! You can meet your deadline. I know you can. I know you can. I know you can.
Cyndi, at the rate I’m going, I’ll be the sparkliest diamond in the mine. Yes, sparkliest is a word now. Someone alert Merriam-Webster.
Megan and Brinda, right now a full day for writing sounds like an impossible dream. Tomorrow afternoon might net me a couple of hours though. Any time for words is good, right?
Life gets in the way daily at my house. If you come up with a winning secret to meeting deadlines and getting the housework done, please share. But I do agree with Cynthia. Just put food on the counter, feed the pets and tell everyone you need a time out. Even if it’s for just an hour. I wish they would make a waterproof laptop, I do my best work in a hot bubble bath.
Lynda
You can do this! Head down, butt in chair, fingers on keyboard!