Nuggets for Personal Journaling
by Claudia Tynes

It's Time for Change

With summer upon us, it's an ideal time to reflect upon our writing. Specifically, it's an ideal time to reflect upon change.

As I do, I think about the season we've just passed and the adage "spring forward…fall back." This statement is commonly used when referring to changes of the standard times to Daylight Saving Time (DST) and vice versa.

"What does the time change have to do with writing?" I am glad you asked. This is a writing column, and as writers, we strive for excellence and perfection in using correct usage of spelling, grammar, etc., in our writing and speaking. One common mistake I had observed in speaking and writing is that we add an "s" on the word "Saving." Contrary to public opinion, the official spelling is Daylight Saving Time (DST). Notice the word "Saving." It is pronounced and spelled without the "s." When writing this column, I wrote "savings" before I had completed my research on this topic. When I checked the calendars throughout my home, they had printed Daylight Savings Time too.

Let's take a closer look at the statement, "spring forward…fall back." These four words provide us with greater clarity in setting our clocks to reflect the accurate time that corresponds with the changing of the seasons. As writers, we can use this time to reflect on and make changes in our writing seasons too. Spring forward indicates setting our clocks one hour ahead of the standard time, resulting in the loss of one hour. Fall back indicates turning our clocks back one hour to regain the hour we lost during the beginning of spring. Can you think of some ways where you can pursue changes in your writings? Are you ready to effect the changes with the transition of the time?

Winston Churchill says, "An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts. We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later."

In 2007, DST was extended by a month beginning the second Sunday on March 11th and it ended on the first Sunday, November 4th. Conserving of time and energy were two of the primary reasons for changing to DST. Also, fire departments have adopted the time changes as a safety reminder and precaution to encourage people to replace the old batteries in their smoke detectors with new batteries. There is an invaluable lesson we, as writers, can takeaway from all of this. This is a good time for us, as writers, to make some changes too.

With the curtain of time closed on half of 2008, this is a good time to review our current writing status. Are you satisfied with where you are currently? What are some of the goals you wish to accomplish before 2008 ends and into 2009 and beyond? It's your time for change. What are you doing with it? Here are three points for you to effect the time changes that take place in your life:

Conserve Your Time

Time is a precious commodity in today's society. Time is money. What we do with the time that has been allowed to us in a matter of choice. Are you juggling your writing time with work, home, church, school, or other social activities? I found myself in a time war juggling a 9-to-5 job and assuming the roles of wife, mother, planner, organizer, and writer a few years ago. I discovered that if I wanted to write, I had to make time for writing.

Even today without a 9-to-5 job, more culprits have crept in trying to fill the vacant space my job once held, but working full time in ministry and writing have consumed that space too.

Can you identify some of the time stealers in your life? Some of my culprits were prayerlessness, attending too many church, social, and organizational events. Busyness masked itself as my chief time stealer. Starting my day with prayer, or including prayer within my daily routine helped me to prioritize my time: God first, family and ministry. Learning how to say "No" was instrumental too. It'’s a small two-letter word, but it carries an enormous amount of weight. You can conserve your time by saying "no" to a prayerless life and busyness too.

Conserve Your Energy

Fall back to sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep differs for each person. While my body requires eight hours of sleep for proper bodily functions, this may not be the case with another person. Getting the proper amount of sleep serves as an energizer.

When we are filled to the brim with spiritual, mental, and physical energy, it's reflected in the way we feel, think, and write. I heard an infomercial on the television recently that says, "Play, laugh, grow." Conserve your energy by getting the required hours of sleep your body craves.

Be Safe

As with any transition or change, there are safety precautions to consider. We are told to take care of the body, because it is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Eating fruits and vegetables, getting proper exercise, and drinking plenty of water nourish the physical body. Digesting daily doses of the Word of God and bathing it with prayer renews and transforms the spiritual body. You've heard the cliché, "You are what you eat." I say, "I become what I believe." As a man thinketh in his heart, so is He. As a safety precaution, guard your heart; for the issues of life flow out of your heart.

Journaling Assignment

When you answer the following questions, this assignment will help you to clarify and evaluate the time changes in your own life.

• What time is it in your life?
• Is it the "write" time for you to move on to a new venture?
• Make a list of some things that consume your time.
• From the list above, what are some of the things that consume most of your time?
• What were some of the things that consume the least of the your time?
• Where did your writing fare? Is it a priority? Or is it an occasional hobby?

Happy Journaling!