Dear Yogesh,

I’m a marketing director at a medical devices company, where I manage social media, speaking engagements, and all the related details—spreadsheets, tracking results, and the like. I’m also responsible for conducting expert interviews and writing articles for our website that translate complex research into something our audience—doctors, nurse practitioners, and patients—can understand and engage with.

My challenge is this: I block out time for writing, but somehow it always gets pushed aside. Crises, last-minute team meetings, and scheduling difficulties with the doctors I need to interview all seem to get in the way. I’ve tried writing on weekends, but I feel resentful about sacrificing my personal time. I’m behind on writing projects, and although my performance hasn’t been formally flagged, I worry I’m becoming a professional procrastinator.

How do people manage huge workloads while still focusing on important writing projects? Any tips to help me break this cycle?

Sincerely,
Dr. Pradeep

Dear Dr. Pradeep,

First, let me tell you: you’re not alone. Nearly every writer I know has faced this struggle—finding time to write amid a thousand competing demands. Even established authors have to juggle admin tasks, reviews, and other duties alongside their creative work.

I wish I could offer a magic solution, but as you’ve already figured out, the key is blocking out time. What you might not have mastered yet is how to protect that time fiercely, almost as if your career depends on it. This leads me to a suggestion that you’re probably not going to love—but I swear it works.

I call it the early bird method. When I’m up against a hard deadline and can’t seem to make progress, I set the alarm for 5 a.m. (yes, 5 a.m.), get up, have my coffee or matcha, and write from 5:15 to 6:15 a.m. I know—you’re probably groaning right now, but hear me out. This method works because, at that hour, nobody else is likely to schedule meetings or disrupt your time.

I get that you don’t want to sacrifice personal time, which is why you might be able to negotiate with your sympathetic manager to leave an hour earlier in the evening. The beauty of this strategy is that it’s a time frame most people won’t try to claim. If 5 a.m. isn’t your thing (and I completely understand if it’s not), you could try writing in the evening, maybe from 8 to 9 p.m., four nights a week.

If neither of those sound doable, consider it an opportunity to really look at how aggressively you are defending your writing time during the workday. It's not easy, but it’s a skill that takes practice. Protecting that time is one of the most powerful things you can do.

Now, let’s talk about procrastination. The research from Dr. Sirois at the University of Sheffield offers a different take on procrastination: It’s not laziness but an attempt to avoid negative emotions tied to a task. Writing, especially when you’re under pressure, is intimidating. You might be worried about job security, nervous about your writing skills, or simply stressed out by the sheer volume of things on your plate.

So how do you deal with these emotions? By practicing self-compassion. Walk yourself through the negative feelings you have about writing, acknowledge that they’re normal, and remind yourself that getting a writing assignment done isn’t life-or-death. Treat yourself with kindness, and remember that everyone struggles with this—you're not alone.

Here are some practical steps to help:

1. Capture ideas as you go: Keep a notebook or note-taking app open during meetings or as you go about your day. This way, when you sit down to write, you’ll have a pool of ideas and outlines ready to go.
   
   

2. Interview yourself: Before you even start writing, ask yourself key questions aloud and record the answers on your phone. Some examples:
   
   

• What’s the main idea of the piece?

• Why is it important?

• Who needs to know this?

• How would I explain it to a six-year-old?

3. Create a writing ritual: Some writers set a routine to signal their brain it’s time to focus—cleaning off the desk, making a cup of tea, or lighting a candle. Find what works for you to create a mental switch from “busy mode” to “writing mode.”
   
   

4. Find a dedicated writing space: One of the managers I work with often escapes to a back stairwell when he needs to write. The physical discomfort of being in a non-traditional space helps him focus. If that’s not your style, maybe a nearby coffee shop or a quiet corner at home can give you the focus you need.
   
   

5. Go for a walk: Research shows that walking boosts creativity—up to twice as much. If you’re stuck, try walking outside with your phone on Do Not Disturb and record your thoughts. You’d be surprised what ideas come to you when you step away from the desk.
   
   

Ultimately, there’s no way around it: You need to schedule and protect writing time. If you let others push that time aside, it’s usually because you’re avoiding the difficult emotions associated with writing. But that’s all part of the process. If you truly want to succeed as a writer (even if it’s just part of your job), you need to build the habit of defending your writing time.

Experiment with some of these strategies and, most importantly, don’t give up. It’s hard for everyone. But the more you fight for your writing time, the easier it gets.

Best wishes,

Yogesh