When Writing Shouldn’t Be Your Top Priority

As dedicated writers, we have to prioritize our passion. It’s a big deal - prioritize writing time, prioritize your writing projects, make writing your biggest effort, writing is top priority, ect.
But honestly, sometimes we give writing too much priority. There are other important things in life - sometimes even more important than writing! cue gasping We spend all our time, all our effort, all our resources… we sacrifice a lot to be writers. And I’ll be the first to tell you that we absolutely must sacrifice things to become better writers. We just have to make sure we’re not sacrificing the wrong things.

Four Things You Should Never Sacrifice for Writing Priority

1. God

Time spent with God is never wasted. And yet I, personally, have the temptation to rush through or sometimes even skip my Bible time in the mornings (especially if I wake up late) so that I can write. But that’s completely the opposite of how it should be! We have to make sure we set God as our very first priority - before writing, before school, before everything else that crowds our minds and tries to grab our attention.

2. Family

Most likely, you’re probably still at home with your family. And while writing is important no matter who you’re with, your family is more important. You’ll be with your siblings and parents for only so long - either your siblings will graduate or you’ll move away or you might even lose someone you love. Regret is too late (quote from my dad, who lost his mother when he was younger). Shut the laptop, even if you’re in the middle of a project. I actually was working on typing this up one evening when I looked outside and saw the rest of my family playing in the front yard and catching fireflies. Turn off the internet. Close your notebook and click your pen. Go cherish the time you have with your family and make lasting relationships. You can write later.

3. Your health

Sleep. Coffee. Write. Repeat. That seems to be the famous cycle for many writers (except for me. I don’t drink coffee ). Yet.. it’s really not that healthy. Writers stay up late to edit or wake up insanely early to write. It seems as though all-nighters + coffee = happy writer. Actually, it equals eventually-going-to-be-really-exhausted-and-sick writer. If you’re not healthy, you won’t be able to write anyways! So get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat actual food, and don’t sit at a computer all day (my tip is stretching while I use a laptop or write in my noveling notebook - I’ll sit on the floor and do a mini-workout XD). Don’t sacrifice your health for the sake of a story.

4. Friends

I’m just going to start with something that’s pretty blunt and hurts me deep inside - two of my amazing friends, two absolutely fantabulous relationships have been seriously injured because of writing. One of the friendships that nearly got destroyed was my fault, and I will regret that forever. Like I said with family, regret is too late. I wish I hadn’t let writing take top priority. And while I’m doing anything and everything to heal this friendship, I still realize the hurt that can be caused by putting writing above relationships. (NOTE: I’m mainly talking about sacrificing relationships here. It’s sometimes important to say no to an outing or maybe skip the texting for a day or so, but the relationship needs to stay intact and more important than writing) I myself have experienced that hurt because of a friend who very obviously considers her writing more important than anything else. Don’t hurt anyone like I did and I experienced. Please.

my favorite writing utensil

JUST DO IT.