Time management tips for writers Tip 1: see yourself as a competent writer

"I haven't got enough time to write!" - is my writing students' biggest bugbear.

If time management is a challenge for you, this week's series of time management tips will help.

Today's tip helps you to change your behavior using your imagination - it's impossible to change yourself using willpower. Imagine yourself writing your novel, selling your articles, working with your copywriting clients...

Time Management Tip 1. See yourself as a competent writer

We all act in accordance with our self image. It's impossible for us to behave in any other way. If you want to change your behavior, you must start by adjusting your self image.

What’s your image of yourself? If it’s of someone who’s terminally frazzled, that image will affect what you experience throughout the day. To take control of your time, your self image needs to be able to encompass a vision of you as being relaxed and calm and getting everything done.

Close your eyes for a moment. Picture yourself at your best. You’re calm and you effortlessly handle whatever challenges come up for you during the day.

You may feel some resistance to this image of yourself. If you do, you need to turn off your self-talk. Self-talk is the internal chatter we all carry on within ourselves. Silently say “Let go” to yourself, or “Relax”.

Keep repeating the words silently to yourself, and as you do, create an image in your mind of yourself as relaxed and calm, and doing all the tasks you need to do during the day. As you visualise, keeping saying your “Relax” mantra, and try to feel the emotions in your body.

The above visualisation technique is simple, but very effective. Use it as often as you like during the day.

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