"Time for Time Management" by Belthizor, Assistant Editor of Mistress Journals

Hello my little underlings,

My, it has been a long time since I last wrote on here, and an even longer time since I found the time to edit stories, but fear not, I have not dropped off the edge of the earth... at least not yet. I have recently been making a few changes in my life, and these include studying to be a Community Services Worker.

Naturally, studying has taken up a large amount of my time, as I have been swamped with assessment tasks and trying to work up the courage to face one of my fears, a most common one indeed - public speaking. Dun dun duuun.

So, on with today's article - time management. A skill that is essential in nearly all professions and hobbies. Many of you have a life outside writing, and let's face it, life doesn't stop because you want to do some writing. Here are a few tips to help you manage things better.

Schedules:- writing up a rough schedule for every day can help you manage tasks more efficiently. For example, I schedule my days to work around my studies. Obviously if I've been to class, I'm going to come home and be utterly exhausted, and not want to do homework, however I usually have the next day off, and so I spend my time doing my assignments, scheduling when I do what and for how long. I admit, my time management skills are not the best, and well, we all know how unpredictable life can be. I recently fell ill which put a slight damper on things (out of sheer stubbornness, though, I worked tirelessly throughout the whole time I was sick citing I did not have the time to be sick. This is a perfect example of how NOT to time manage. If you're sick, your well being should always come first!

Rewards:- Whenever you complete a task, you should reward yourself. If you finish a story, for example (after making sure you've saved, and saved again) do something that you enjoy for half an hour before doing the next task. This gives you incentive to work towards the completion of your goal.

Breaks:- Continuing on with the story writing example, don't sit there at your computer for 5 hours straight (for example) writing your story, because the end result will probably see you slumped over your desk face down on your keyboard. Nobody wants to read a story that's been written on no rest and is full of such things as nfeoidknnrseodgnvroeikghvnreklfgnveoslkngviurdnsgviejhfgnvnorgnvoejhngvirkngvolr. Take a 5-15 minute break every half hour or so. Get up. Get away from the computer, go for a walk, make something to eat, whatever you do, do it away from the computer (just make sure to save your progress first!) This clears the mind and gets rid of the cobwebs that will undoubtedly build up in your heads (the ones that aren't already there, as seems to be the case with most writers who seem to have an aptitude for REALLY bad spelling and grammar).

Follow these steps, and you will find that your body and your writing will thank you for it in the end.

Until next time, keep on writing, and I will be back among your ranks in three weeks' time to resume my editing duties plays Chopin's "Funeral March". Muahahaha!

- Lord Belthizor, Assistant Editor of Mistress Journals Erotic Stories Forum
Spelling and Grammar aficionado extraordinaire.