Time Flies When You're...Doing Nothing

It has occurred to me that I have terrible time-management skills. I should be able to get much more done than I do, and yet here I am, a mountain of homework to finish, a To-Be-Read list that is taking over my office, a novel I haven't touched in months, and a blog that is coated in cobwebs and feeling neglected. Not to mention the laundry that needs folding, the floors that need sweeping and mopping, the dishes that need washing, the hair that needs dying and the waistline that needs trimming.

So, what am I doing with all my time? Aside from the full-time job, I have no idea. A lot of Facebook and Candy Crush, for starters. Throw in some staring into space, watching random TV shows, and multiple trips to the kitchen for snacks, and that about sums up every single time I sit down at my computer to get something done. Every free moment I have is filled with good intentions. "I've got an hour before I have to leave for work. I should write the rest of this chapter," or "An entire afternoon to myself? Time to catch up on that homework!"

And yet, all those hours slip away with nothing to show for them.

Part of the problem is, I can't seem to focus on one thing for longer than ten minutes before I move onto Facebook or the kitchen. I blame the Internet for that. It seems I am always, always distracted by All The Things!

What is a girl to do?

Buckle down and get shit done, that's what.

It has become clear to me that I need to sit down and budget out my time each week. I need to figure out the best way to be productive with that time. I need to suddenly become an uber-organized person.

That's like asking for a miracle, eh?

How about you? How to you stay motivated and focused? Do you have any time management tips? If so, I'm all ears!


Isn't It Ironic?

It feels like my usual lazy Sunday. I slept in a little later than usual and I've been puttering around the house, doing random chores. My mind was lulled into thinking I had the rest of the day to relax.

Wrong.

I have to go to work at 7 tonight. I haven't worked a late night shift in at least six months. I'm sort of worried I'm gonna fall asleep somewhere around eleven -- three hours before I'm out.

Until then, though, I've been trying to get myself organized. There's a load of laundry in the washer, another in the dryer. My homework is sitting next to me, waiting patiently to be worked on and I've been toying with the idea of dying my hair. And maybe writing Chapter Seventeen.

Chapter Seventeen. In my outline for 2010's NaNo novel, there were only fourteen chapters. But somewhere along the way, I strayed from my outline. Added more scenes. Played around with my characters and their world. Who knows how much of that is gonna make it into the final draft, but it's been a fun, eye-opening experience. I've learned that Mr. Perfect can be a jerk. I've learned that Mr. Wrong can be vulnerable and sweet. I've learned that my MC doesn't really like who she is. And that her nemesis, Little Miss Sunshine, has more depth than I ever realized.

And Chapter Seventeen is getting me closer to The End. I've only got about three or four more chapters to go. And let me tell ya, I've been working on this novel on and off for about six years. Thinking about typing The End on this makes me more than a little nervous. Kind of like cutting off a limb. Isn't that weird? For years, I've wanted to get back to this story and finish it. And now that I'm almost there...I'm all but freaking out.

What about you? Do you get nervous when you're almost to the end of your WiP? Or is it just me and my neurotic tendencies? Do any of you have a project you've been working on for an eternity?