Where do you find the time?

This is pretty much the only question I've been asked about writing often enough to make it into an FAQ column. When do you find time to write? And although I've got plenty of glib answers, I think the simple truth is: I don't have time. I've got two kids, a full time job, a husband, and a moderate to severe addiction to Civilisation 5. I've got friends and housework and unanswered emails and lost keys and a dozen other demands on my time. Realistically speaking, I don't have time to write - but then, neither does anyone else.

It constantly baffles me where anyone ever finds time to do anything. My dad plays twenty hours of bridge a week. Where does he find the time? I have friends who keep track of five different soap operas, or four leagues of football fixtures. My sister has approximately seven hundred friends, all of whom seem to be getting married this year. My eldest son follows uncountable blogs, vlogs, pods, youtube accounts, and has just bought Simcity. A guy at work walks ten miles an evening, for fun. Where does anyone find the time?

The simple answer is, I guess we make time for the things we really want to do. I really like writing - it chills me out, it's fun, it's my way of unwinding, and so I'll go out of my way to find time to do it.

Oh sure, sometimes it's a chore, but everyone feels that way about their hobbies sometimes. Sometimes it's a lot more tempting to go to McDonalds than to football practice. Sometimes you want to hang out with your friends rather than work on that dress you're sewing. I guess the trick is not to make excuses too often, because it's ridiculously easy to fall out of the habit of doing something, and once you lose momentum it's so hard to get going again.

So, yeah. Don't know if there's anything of use to be learned from this, but those are my thoughts: have fun with something, and you'll make time for it.