How to Stop Being Distracted During Your Writing Time

Last week we talked about how to create time in your calendar. One of the first challenges that I support my clients with is once they have created time for writing in their calendar, how do they arrive at that time and write? How do they stay focused on writing even when there is not a looming deadline?  

Remember, once you have created the time in your calendar you are now developing your writing process. If you are finding yourself distracted there are likely two parts to this: 1)  how are you showing up to support yourself to focus on writing and 2) how are you supporting yourself by asking others to support you during this time (I will share more with you about this next week). 

First of all, how are you showing up to support yourself? Or, what might be easier at first is to ask how are you getting in your own way? This is where you have the most leverage. You can do something differently for yourself and you are in control of your own actions…even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like we have a choice, we do.

The first question is – What are you doing in your writing time if you are not writing? Is it your other to dos, socializing, researching, eating, drinking? What is it for you? Once you start to see these they can act as Distraction Flags for you and bring yourself back to the space of writing, again and again and again,

Here are some supportive structures that can help you stay on task during your writing time: 

1. Have a pad of paper next to your computer as you are writing to write down what ever the distractions are that come up while you are writing – everything from the grocery list to booking camp for kids to an email you need to send. If it’s not writing related, write it down. 
2. Create non-writing time in your calendar for what’s distracting you other than writing in your calendar. Your brain needs to know that you are going to get to them later. All of them – whether it’s eating, drinking, socializing, researching, email, any of your to dos. In this non-writing time, do these tasks.  This will build trust within yourself that you can write and do the other tasks.
3. Write down your thoughts/feelings that are coming up as you begin to feel the urge to distract. This is where the really valuable change begins. It’s not easy but it’s what you are really wanting to distract yourself from.  

If you are tired of being distracted while you are writing and the feelings of guilt, anxiety and overwhelm that are not showing up for you as a result and ready to create sustainable change for yourself to bring more ease to your writing process, please email me at support@melissaeanders.com for your complimentary Discovery Call where we will connect around what’s happening for you and see if the work that I do is a good fit for you or not. 

Warmly,

Melissa