Feeling Scattered in Your Writing Life? Here’s One Way to Get Back on Track

You know the feeling.

You're standing in a room full of half-unpacked boxes, random objects scattered everywhere—a lamp on the floor, papers in piles, a chair draped in laundry, and zero idea where your water bottle went.

Welcome to Scattered Brain Syndrome.

Okay, it’s not an official diagnosis, but the symptoms are real: mental fog, forgotten tasks, missed deadlines, and a growing sense of falling behind in every area of life. That’s exactly the season I’ve found myself in lately.

When Life Crowds Out What Matters

After a big move, I’ve been juggling all the logistics of settling in, managing a full-time job, and trying to hold onto my personal writing life. And you can probably guess which one falls off the list first.

Yep—my personal writing. The one thing that matters deeply to me, that ties to my biggest life goals, ends up feeling “optional” when life gets overwhelming.

The Small Shift That Changed Everything

If you’ve been feeling similarly scattered and stretched thin, I want to tell you about one small but powerful shift that helped me reset my expectations and take back control of my time: I conducted a time audit.

I took a hard look at how I'm actually spending my days—what my week looks like in real life, not in my idealized, superhuman version of it. 

What My Week Really Looks Like

Here’s what I noticed:
Monday through Thursday, I now go into an office. That single fact shapes everything—when I have to be up, dressed, and out the door; how I fit in workouts; and what time is left for anything else. Friday through Sunday offer more flexibility, but even so, it’s not as much free time as I’d imagined.

After laying it all out, the big aha hit me:
No wonder I feel like I’m falling behind—on most days, I only have 2–4 hours max of flexible time.

That realization was oddly freeing. Instead of feeling defeated by all I wasn’t doing, I could finally understand the math of my life. There just aren’t enough hours to do it all unless I start making more intentional choices.

Reclaiming My Time, One Block at a Time

Next, I sketched out my ideal week—not some fantasy version where I wake up at 4 a.m. and do everything perfectly, but a realistic version that includes:

• Morning routines that actually fit my energy levels
  
• Designated writing time that aligns with when I’m most focused
  
• Space for workouts and rest
  
• Coaching and client time
  
• Unstructured time to just be

Mapping this out gave me back a sense of control. I’m no longer trying to “fit it all in” without knowing what “all” even looks like. Now I can set achievable goals based on my actual time—not just my ambition.

Try It for Yourself

If you’re feeling similarly scattered or behind, I encourage you to try this too:

1. Audit your current week. Look at how you’re really spending your time.
   
2. Create your ideal week. Block out what you’d like your days to look like—realistically.
   
3. Adjust your goals accordingly. Set yourself up for wins, not constant disappointment.
   

This exercise helped me trade chaos for clarity—and I think it might do the same for you.

If you try it, let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear what you learn about your time—and your writing life—in the process.