How Even the Most Distracted Writers Can Access Deep Focus
Joyce Carol Oates says that Public Enemy #1 of writers is...
Interruptions.
Do you agree? I bet you can recall a time when you sat down to write with a hot cup of tea and a blank page awaiting your genius and then...
The dryer buzzes. You better fold those towels!
Your phone dings with a text from your brother: Can you talk now?
A news alert pops up: The President just said THIS on Twitter!
Your partner knocks on your door: Gotta minute to help me?
As Oates puts it, constant interruptions are a wrecking ball to your imagination.
Fun fact: It takes about 25 minutes to re-focus on your writing task after an interruption. That's a half-hour lost.
"I get so easily distracted. I can't focus!" is the most common excuse I hear for avoiding writing.
Eventually, the distractions become so overwhelming, many writers give up entirely:
"I can't get a moment's peace, and when I do, my mind is pulled in 1,000 directions." So they quit or claim they'll write "when things calm down."
Spoiler alert: Things never calm down.
Interruptions, distractions, and procrastination don't go away on their own. Fruitful writers (like Oates –– that woman is a human printer) know that Focus is a muscle. Fruitful writers know that interruptions can be prepared for in advance.
Fruitful writers know that fear is at the root of all distraction. Really, is folding towels more important than your novel? Nope. But it's less scary.
Focus is a muscle you can grow.
Here's the simplest & easiest tool to beef up your flabby Focus muscle:
Use a timer.
I know, I know. You've heard it before. You might think it's too simple to work. Hear me out.
Timers are the BEST tool to funnel your focus, tap into flow, and silence that fidgety child within that wants to scroll on Insta instead of write.
I love timers so much, I recently bought this adorbs strawberry kitchen timer, which is ticking away while I write this post.
Want a hyper-focused writing session this weekend or next week? Try this:
Schedule a 1-2 hour block dedicated to writing. Put it in your calendar now with a reminder.
Eliminate all interruptions in advance: Tell your family you're off-limits. Turn off your phone. Turn off the laundry buzzer. Turn off email. Close out browser tabs.
Open up a fresh Google doc, Word doc, or blank page in your journal.
Set a timer for 30 minutes. You can do 15 or 25, depending on how challenging it is for you to focus. 30 minutes works best for me.
Write your bunz off while the timer is ticking! If anything interrupts you, it can wait until the timer buzzes.
When the timer dings, set it again for 5 or 10 minutes, and take a break. Walk, stretch, pet the dog, get water, or brew tea. Rest your brain.
Repeat until your 1- or 2-hour session is done.
Don't knock it 'till you try it. I guarantee you'll get words on the page. Even if you don't, you'll feel good that you kept a promise to yourself and focused on your writing for an hour.
This is my version of the famous Pomodoro Technique®. It's famous because it works. Even for the worst procrastinators.
It works because writing sprints reduce overwhelm. 30 minutes of writing is an easy win for our fidgety inner child.
Here's my call to action for you:
Try the above strategy this weekend or next week, and comment below with your results. 👇
Did you get words on the page? Did you succumb to interruptions? Are you pumped you actually kept your butt 🍑 in the chair instead of folding sheets and watching season 2 of You?
Let me know how it goes in the comments, and I'd be delighted to brainstorm more ways to help you focus on your writing.
Your work is important. Keep writing, and I'm with you all the way.