Having been a fiction editor for over ten years (and an author for even longer!), there are naturally times when the two collide and deadlines loom in both instances that have me pulling my hair out and begging for a day off, preferably on a beach with cocktail in hand, away from any mention of justified text or typos.

It’s taken me a long time to find a balance between the two but over the last six months I have been working to a new formula that seems to be doing the trick (for the most part), so far at least.

I’m no better than the next person at keeping on track 100% of the time and, being an author, my mind will always wander after a certain amount of time and focus on something completely different to what I should be doing (such as the two pigeons currently battling out for the prime perch on my satellite dish outside the window!).

So to find a way of working that not only helped me get everything done but also kept me occupied was tricky, but the help I gained from this lovely lady (via all her freebies which are extensive and very helpful) has been great.

I’m often skeptical about these sorts of things and I certainly don’t buy into all the ‘pay me £1000s and I’ll transform your life’ jargon, but I do appreciate freebies as much as the next person, especially when they are actually helpful!

Once I sat down and looked at what I needed to do in a week versus what I actually did, I realised I was wasting an awful lot of time each week on things that either didn’t matter, or on procrastination on the things that did.

So now, I have a nice, organised weekly planner that allows me to give each item I need to do (editing, writing, social media, emails, to do list, misc) a time slot and specific day. A whole week is then planned out in terms of the work that falls into each category (I currently have a week A and a week B, which helps with the editing and writing). It also helps me ensure I block out time for myself and helps me plan weeks away from the desk (something I struggled with previously).

My timing still needs work (I still drift off of schedule sometimes) but I am definitely getting much more done in a week than I used to, in an orderly fashion and in a way that doesn’t have me pulling my hair out. I feel ten times more productive and end the day feeling like I’ve achieved something, rather than a frazzled mess who’s worrying about the next day.

I’m a simply soul and definitely like my organised lists and schedules to help me through my otherwise chaotic duties and thoughts.

If you’re someone who struggles with getting everything done in a week and need a little help organising your schedule in a way that is quick, easy and FREE, then I heartily recommend giving Caitlin’s formula a go.

It’s definitely helped my sanity!