I Don’t Have Time Not to Write

Like most people, I have a desire to be as productive as possible. When I come into my church office in the morning, I write on my white board all of the tasks that I need to accomplish on that day. Unexpected things always come up and so I have to be careful with my time. Because of this, I have often found that I do not have time to write.

Or do I?

I recently tried an experiment. I decided to plan into every day 15-30 minutes of writing. By writing, I do not mean blogging. Generally it has been writing a magazine article, a devotional meditation or working on an eBook. Now 15 minutes of writing does not sound like a lot but it is more than I was doing when I was not writing at all.

The question is, where will I get that 15-30 minutes to do my writing? What other important activity will need to be neglected? What I discovered was that there was nothing I needed to give up. I found that choosing to write for 15 minutes gave me a charge of creative energy that allowed me to accomplish my other tasks faster than I could without writing. Writing actually gives me more time instead of taking it away.

What I have found out is that I do not have time not to write. Taking a bit of time to write helps me to be a better pastor and it even helps me be better husband and dad. The reason is that I’m tapping into that “sweet spot” where my gifts and opportunities come together. I’m able to be more present in my other roles because I’m spending that little bit of time doing something I really enjoy.

What about you? What is it that you don’t have time not to do? What is the activity that gives you energy?

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