How to get stuff done when you can’t plan your days — 4 survival strategies developed after 2 weeks of (not) writing with a newborn
After two weeks of failing to write daily I have come to accept one thing: Writing with a newborn is freaking hard.
The hard thing is not that I don’t have the time — a little baby (mine anyways) sleeps something like 16–20 hours a day. The problem is I never know when I’ll have time and for how long. Sometimes I’ll get 4 interrupted hours. Sometimes I’ll get 15 minutes. That makes it almost impossible to dive deep into work and get done some decent writing .
After getting increasingly frustrated (is it even allowed to admit that as a new mom?!) with the consistency and quality of my writing, my partner and I brainstormed what I could change to make the most of the bits of me-time I get every day.
Here are the four ideas we came up with:
- Have my phone on a string around my neck so I can always reach it to listen to podcasts or take notes even if I can’t move due to a sleeping baby on my chest.
- Dedicate time slots where only two types of activities are allowed: caring for the baby or creating content! Things I’m allowed to do include: listening to podcasts, gathering material for new content ideas, note-taking, or, of course, writing. No dishwashing!
- Take audio notes if I can’t type. This way I can capture ideas and outline posts when I don’t have my hands free.
- Get at least one hour every day without the baby. This is the time where the actual writing is done.
How do you deal with chaotic days?
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