Should We Make an Appointment to Write?

Two days ago was my self-proclaimed Treat Yourself Day. I had it all planned out:

• 9AM: Order a chai bomb at a new coffee shop and write a blog post
• 11AM: Enjoy a full-body massage with my spa gift certificate
• 12PM: Order a glass of wine at lunch
• 1PM: Go shopping!
• 5PM: Make (vegetarian) paella for dinner and watch a movie

Most of the day went as planned. Except for the 9AM part. I pressed snooze so many times on my alarm clock that by the time I was up and ready to go for the day, I didn’t have enough time for that chai bomb or that blog post.

So I read a book instead before the massage. Not a bad alternative.

But I didn’t miss my massage appointment. And I was actually looking forward to my coffee shop time more than the spa experience.

So why did I make sure that I didn’t miss the massage? Because I had an appointment.

Our society holds appointments in high regard. We work hard at not missing them. We schedule them in advance. We feel guilty for pushing them back or cancelling.

But what about writing?

We often plan to write when it’s convenient in our schedule. We easily push it to the side when something somewhat important arises. We press snooze on our writing opportunities so much that we sleep through our chance to write.

So then I had an epiphany: Why don’t we make writing appointments for ourselves?

We schedule a time in our calendars. We set reminders hours and days before it’s time to get the ball rolling. We have our writing equipment ready to go the night before—just like we do for an appointment.

The most important part: We need to reserve a room somewhere.

If we can’t hold ourselves accountable so that we make time to write, then we need to treat our writing time like an appointment.

Call to schedule a room (appointment) at your library or rent a small conference room at your local co-working space. Better yet, make it a weekly appointment so that you’re writing regularly.

The beauty of writing is that we can write at anytime and at anyplace. But if we’re not creating anything, then there’s no beauty nor writing.

Don’t worry, I’m not just talking the talk. I’ve looked into my local options and was surprised at the results. I can purchase a day pass at a nearby co-working space for $35 (with group lunches every Wednesday!). And my local library branch has free study rooms (although they’re first-come, first serve).

Once we are in the habit of making an appointment for our writing, then we can make our writing habit happen anywhere (and eventually at anytime). An appointment is the start of your writing time becoming a healthy habit.

Do you often skip out on your writing time? Share your experience below.