I’m a bloody part-timer (again)

The time has come!

I wrote in November about my plan to go back part-time, in a bid to get more writing done as well as, frankly, just because I like working a 4-day week. And, well, I’ve just come to the end of Week One of my new/old schedule!

There was a rocky start. Partly because, despite my deeply held religious beliefs against intention-setting, I did indeed set some intentions. Specifically, I went into Canva and knocked up a 3-day schedule for an at-home “writing retreat”, which I naively and optimistically decided would be the structure for all my future weekends. It was gorgeous, because Canva does an excellent line in aesthetically-pleasing paperwork, and if I’d been able to stick to it, I’d have been in a position to bang out nearly 8,000 words every 3-day weekend for the foreseeable future.

But, that’s the thing about good intentions, innit? Road to hell etc.

I had a super-productive Saturday. I nailed it, and wrote more than 6,000 words on my new project, largely lining out my plot points to make sure I have a solid structure to work towards.

But… it couldn’t last. I wrote probably 2,000 words on Sunday, and then ran out of steam. On Monday, my first Monday, I did… very little. No writing. No housework, either. I needed to rest, evidenced by the fact I ended up with a migraine on Tuesday, and that meant I didn’t manage to do anything I “needed” to do, if I was going to live up to my own intentions.

But.

But, but but.

It doesn’t matter. Does it? As I’ve said, I needed the rest. My migraines are one of the biggest drains on my productivity there is, and they’re nearly always a sign I’ve not been looking after myself properly. Often, that’s because I’ve been pressuring myself to do too much in too little time. But now I have Mondays off. I have more time… to look after myself.

So, going forward, I will still plan to use my Mondays for writing, but I’m easing way back on my expectations. And I’m going to plan my time so it also involves looking after myself better.

Regardless of what ends up filling my Mondays, I’m so pleased I’ve gone back to part-time.

You might be able to tell, but I’m a big proponent of working fewer hours, if you can.