Focus is so important… no matter the project you are working on. It is important to find and remain focused.
I am the first person to admit that I can be easily distracted. My biggest distraction is always the tool I use to write… my computer. I open up my computer with good intentions. I intend to research and write and it doesn’t take long before my eyes and mind are wandering, usually to one (if not all) of my social media networks. Email also draws me in. The minute I see a notification from Facebook or Twitter I am down the rabbit hole for several minutes (if not sometimes an hour or two).
It can be really hard to find your focus and then stay focused but when you are writing it is essential.
There is no way to find flow in your writing unless you are completely focused on the writing job at hand. I can tell you there have been more than a few times while I was writing but distracted and unfocused that my writing just didn’t make sense. You know what I mean right? You are writing but have the TV on in the background and then you pop over to Facebook for a few minutes to read the latest post by your friends and then return to your writing. You feel like you have been churning out some great stuff until you go back to read over what you wrote and realize it is a bit of a hot mess. Your writing is all over the place and frankly in a few places makes no sense at all. Yup, been there, done that. That is what happens when you can’t stay focused.
Here are just a few tips you can use to help you stay focused.
1. Work Offline
This is important if you are easily distracted by email or social media. If you are writing and know that you are easily drawn in then turn off your internet/wifi to your computer. This will stop you from being tempted to hop onto Facebook. There are also a number of resources that help you work offline. Here is a great article with a number of great tools to help you focus.
2. Work in a Great Work Space
Working in an appropriate space for the task at hand. If you need to sit down and write then create a work-space that is quiet and helps your creative juices flow. If the local coffee shop helps you write, then work there BUT if you need complete silence then maybe you should work in your home office.
3. Eliminate Distractions
If find when I am in a serious crunch for time and really need to get work done then I need to eliminate distractions like the telephone, radio and/or television. If you are working from home and your children are home then you may need to eliminate the distraction of children too! What I mean is you may need to leave and go to the coffee shop or library to work.
4. Manage Your Time
I find when I am really coming up to a deadline and need to get a project done I tend to get even more distracted. I think it is the stress of having to get something finished under pressure. If you manage your time and leave yourself enough time for each step of a project you will have better focus. So, schedule your work/writing time around all the other things in your life so that you give yourself enough time for everything.
5. Schedule Some Fun
Part of staying focused for me is making sure that I take breaks. It is important to give yourself a breather every once in a while. Do something fun. Step away from the project, take a breather, walk the dog or set up a quick coffee date with a friend for a quick break and then get right back to writing.
What do you do to stay focused when writing or working on a big project? Share them in the comments below.
