How to Achieve Scheduling Zen

www.freefoto.comLooking at my day timer, it is apparent that I am losing the scheduling battle. Today I flipped to March and was all but blinded by the numerous appointments I've written down and highlighted in hot pink.Who the heck scheduled all this stuff when I wasn't looking???

Some appointments are practical in nature - a hair cut or visit to the allergist. Some are work related - speaking at a writers' workshop or attending a Toastmasters meeting. Some are monthly obligations - my radio show, board meetings. Some are weekly exercise dates - hill runs on Mondays and trail runs on Thursdays, and yoga 2-3x/week. Still others are social in nature - dinner and a play with friends, a jewelry party, brunch with friends we've not seen in some time. And then there are the random events - our classes on Egypt, sub-committee meeting with the Animal Protection Society, speaking to middle-graders about proper pet care, a meeting with a local writer who wants advice on how to submit to magazines, a mastermind marketing meeting.

But it boils down to rarely if ever having a free day where I just sit down and work, focused and non-stop. I realize few people have the type of job where they work uninterrupted but I'd make the argument those type of days are rather vital in the life of a writer.

The fact is, we all lead busy lives. And that's not going to change. I try to look at it as the things I'm "signed up" to do are there because they're important to me. Staying home 24/7 doesn't broaden my understanding of the world. The more I'm out in the world, the more I have to write about.

But I'm considering setting aside at least one day a week as a "non-schedule" day. Just crossing it off the calendar so I know that day there is no exercise, no meetings, no phone calls, no doctor appointments, no drive time. I'll treat it as an "out-of-office" day and just disappear as if I'm at an all-day conference and can't be reached. 

The issue is figuring out what that one day should be. Fridays are actually looking promising, although I prefer to be available to clients that day in case we need to touch base before the weekend. Wednesdays are an option... if I can juggle a few things around.

How do you all manage your schedules--doctor prescribed medication not included?

Dena