Today’s post is written by Krissy Brady, a semi-finalist in the Write It Sideways regular contributor search. Thanks, Krissy!
“Being a good writer is 3 percent talent, and 97 percent not being distracted by the Internet.” ~Anonymous
With the enormous number of responsibilities writers now face while they’re online—e-mails, research, interviews, blogging, social networking—never mind the external distractions faced while working at home, it’s no wonder so many of us end the day with barely a paragraph written.
- The Question: We know we are all given the same number of hours per day. We know it’s not about doing things right; it’s about doing the right things. We also know that productivity doesn’t mean working harder, but smarter. Why, then, are we constantly swimming against the current?
- The Answer: We allow ourselves to be distracted. Our eyes wander away from our to-do lists and our blank Word documents, toward our inbox (which we just checked 10 minutes ago), our Facebook feed (which we just checked five minutes ago), and our Twitter feed (which we just refreshed).
Here are five tips to minimize online distractions, so you can get back to writing:
1. Know What You Have Control Over, and What You Don’t
We have more than our share of external distractions: unexpected visitors, phone calls, text messages, personal chores, errands, family obligations. These are items on our agenda we do not have control over; they will always be in our lives. However, on the Internet, we have full control over exactly how we spend our time.
The fact is we can appear offline on MSN Messenger and Facebook; we can choose when we check our e-mail; we can choose when we update our social networking accounts. The only interruption we have on the Internet is ourselves.
2. Create Separate E-mail Addresses for Separate Tasks
One distraction-buster that has increased my productivity by 300% is how I have organized my e-mail accounts. There is nothing more overwhelming than an inbox that never seems to reduce in size, and this is one of the most consistent distractions we face.
To alleviate this distraction, I did two things:
- I set up four separate e-mail accounts. My main e-mail address is to keep in touch with my writer friends and blog followers; the second account I use to subscribe to blogs; the third to subscribe to publication mailing lists; and the fourth I use specifically for my writing submissions, to keep my pitches and assignments organized. This way, I know what e-mails to prioritize, and my social networking subscriptions do not interfere with my writing projects.
- I disabled the automatic download feature on my Windows Live program. Now, I download my e-mails when I’m ready to download them (goodbye intrusive notifications!). It also helps give a small sense of accomplishment before the next torrent of e-mails roll in (on my terms).
3. Befriend Your Favorites Menu
The best thing about the Internet is the endless number of resources and information right at our fingertips, especially when we’re on the hunt for new markets to submit our writing to.
However, this can easily become the worst thing if we spend more time randomly browsing for opportunities than we do actually following through on opportunities we’ve already found.
That’s where your Favorites (bookmarks) menu will come in handy.
Create a folder specifically for those websites you want to look into further, to eliminate potential wandering. Name the website you’re saving after the reason why you’re saving it, e.g. print submission guidelines, join mailing list, send query to health editor, etc., so you can finish these new tasks efficiently at a more appropriate time.
4. Create a Social Networking System
With how important social networking has become for building a successful author platform, the line between constructive networking and procrastinating is very blurry. Creating a system for your social networking tasks will help you to decipher between productive social networking and not-so-productive.
For example, you could comment on your favorite blogs Mondays and Wednesdays, and network in writing forums Tuesdays and Thursdays, leaving Fridays for loose ends (perhaps you could work on that Favorites folder you’ve been stashing information in).
Or, you could fully focus on your writing and blogging during the week, leaving social networking for the weekend. Make sure to continue tweaking your system until you get it just right. (I have been running my blog since December of 2010, and I only recently solidified my social networking system. It’s a process, but an important one.)
5. Disconnect and Find Your Happy Place
Once you have completed your online tasks, disconnect the Internet, and consider it a mental disconnection as well so you can fully focus on your writing.
During our work day and other obligations, there are times when we have to suppress our creative energy in order to focus, and it can be difficult to revive it, especially if we’ve been suppressing it for a long period of time.
In The Freelance Writer’s Bible, David Trottier suggests picturing a safe harbor to open your mind—a calm and peaceful location, real or fictional, that makes you feel safe and relaxed:
“Retreating to your safe harbor is a mental device that will calm your thinking mind and summon your subconscious mind to bring forth insights and push them into consciousness. The truths of your soul and the source of your creativity are inside you; they just need a way to reveal themselves.” (p. 7)
Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to get back into your creative zone, and sometimes it takes longer, but the important thing is it will happen. Trusting the process means trusting yourself as a writer.
So now that you’re taking charge of your online distractions (wink, wink), it’s time to take a deep breath and visit your safe harbor. Once your creativity vault has been reopened, you will be amazed at how much writing you’ll be able to accomplish.
Krissy Brady is a freelance writer located in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. She is a blogger dedicated to keeping the passion for writing alive, and is currently working on her first novel, poetry collection and screenplay. To learn more and keep in touch with Krissy, visit her blog, and follow her through RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest writing-related information.
Krissy,
Thanks for the tips. I can sooo relate to this. I am still struggling to manage my time around a part-time job. I research some potential leads than leave for work. By the time I get home I don;t act on that lead. I am a morning person when it comes to creativity. I am trying to balance my day so I maximize my time at home with my creative peaks. Not an easy task.
I’m really glad you enjoyed the article Cindy! Time management is something I still don’t have a full grip on, and I’ve been working at home full-time for 6 years! And now that I’m transitioning from full-time web designer to full-time writer, my old routine no longer works so it’s like I’m starting all over again in terms of figuring out a suitable way of doing things. You’re definitely not alone!
What has actually helped me lately, is creating a to-do list that is structured based on the mood I’m in when I finally have that window of opportunity to write. If I’m feeling creative/inspired, I work on my rough drafts. If I’m having a hard time focusing, instead of wandering around on facebook, I fill up my “To-Do” folder with research for articles and future writing opportunities. If I’m feeling analytical, I use that time to plan my upcoming article ideas. Because we’re creative, we have to try our best to flow with our emotions, even though our work schedule never does.
#3!!! Best tip of the week!!! I now have a toolbar folder named “Hold to read.” Duh. Genius! Thanks!
Yay I’m so glad you liked it! It’s something that I started doing about six months ago, and I find my productivity has skyrocketed. The favourites menu has been on every computer I’ve ever owned, so when I finally thought of it, all I could think was, “Should’ve had a V8!” LOL
Hey, have you been spying on me?
I like your idea of having four different email addresses. How did you set this up for the people and subscriptions that already come to your current address?
I do already use folders to keep things like social media notifications separate, but you mentioned a key point that I had missed: prioritizing the folders! Seems like a big duh now, but you’ve reminded me that I don’t have to look in every folder every time!
One thing that has worked for me is using email or social media as a reward for a sustained period of work. Then I can relax and enjoy the indulgence instead of feeling guilty about it.
Great tips–thanks!
I’m still going through the process of transitioning who I’m already subscribed to to the new e-mail address. When I receive mailings in my main inbox, I go to the site, resubscribe using the new address, and unsubscribe my main address. It’s a process, but I should have everything fully transferred over by the new year. It’s been a great way for me to keep distractions at bay, because I’m like you–when I check my e-mail, I have this urge to go through everything before starting my work day. Now, I’m able to check on the priority e-mails, and complete my social networking later on in the day.
I love reward systems! I agree–it’s a great way to keep your writing flowing, and then take a break to rejuvenate for your next creative burst. It’s actually a highly recommended practice!
Wise words. Thanks for the reminders. Distraction is the enemy of creative work, but we have so much pressure to focus on the distractions instead of the WIP. We need to resist.
I completely agree Anne, and I’m really glad you enjoyed the article! The pressure is incredibly stressful, and it’s hard to be creative when you’ve got about 50 other things rolling around in your mind. And I think the pressure we place on ourselves can become the most stressful of all. We really need to trust our creative process more, but like everything, it comes with a lot of practice.
Perhaps QuietWrite?- http://www.quietwrite.com/
What a fantastic website, thanks so much for sharing! I have bookmarked it. I especially like that you can transfer your writing to an iPad–I recently invested in one, and have basically been finding every excuse to use it, lol! So now I can work on it without ending up sidetracked by a billion apps. 🙂
Very good tips Krissy. I love your regular blog posts and this is a great way to see how you stay organized. I understand there is a function to filter emails through gmail … I really need to try it and create a social networking system. I always enjoys your posts and hope to see you over here. Good luck.
Thanks so much Stacy! I’m glad to help out in any way I can, and I’m glad the tips will help you along. Now that I’m working more on my writing and less on designing, I very much plan on documenting my organization process as I refine it. My routine is completely different now than it used to be, since I’m going into a completely different industry. I’m loving it, because it will give me the clean slate necessary to kick things up a notch and do some experimenting. 🙂
These are great tips! Once I read a magazine article about Jonathan Franzen in which he said, “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” I know the internet can be a helpful resource, but it often distracts me…and because most of us are writing on a computer, it’s hard to ignore. I’ll definitely need to look at implementing your suggestions.
Be sure to keep me posted on your progress Sarah! I completely agree with Jonathan; I know there are times where I’m not writing to my full potential because I’m distracted by other things. While the Internet comes in handy for quick checks (say, you need to look for a little bit of research for an article, and you then switch back to your Word document), it’s hard not to get sucked in by its immensity.
I purchased a small laptop, and disconnected the wifi, in hopes that it will help me to fully focus on my article, screenplay, and novel drafts. All I have are my writing programs on it, and absolutely nothing else. I am crossing my fingers that the laptop being decluttered will keep me decluttered too, lol!
The disconnected laptop is a great idea! I think Jonathan Franzen actually did the same thing! After reading your article I got a second e-mail address and did a bunch of bookmark organizing…so far so good. Thanks again.
Totally my pleasure! Very happy to help! Once you get going, it really does start to feel as if a weight has been lifted.
I TOTALLY agree with and practice with great enthusiasm steps 2 through 5. I also relate completely to the most exuberant photo of the writer working outdoors with that great assistant, wireless technology! HOWEVER, I find that I end up almost always being just like the woman in the photo AFTER I browse through ALL my emails, in one account, showering me with connections and lightning-like inspirations. I am a speedreader; and at the age of almost-65, I have grown more and more in automatic sync with my own muse, my own passions, my own “take” on life. I rely on those daily floods of email titles, zipped through, to fire up my percolator to high boil, so to speak.
That is so excellent Rose! I love the image too–I have done many a Lotto 6/49 happy dance myself once my inspiration has kicked in, lol! I love that you’re so in sync with your creativity–I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to that point each day. I do use my e-mails as a way to get the engine running too; I just need to make sure I don’t go overboard–I need to accept the fact that there will always be e-mails, and other accounts to check–that this part of our job is never done, and we can do what you do, and harness it and use it to our advantage, instead of to our downfall. Great feedback, thank you! 🙂
Thank you, Krissy, for this post. I can really relate to this and have been struggling with it ever since I decided to leave my day job and work from home. Being a writer, plus the fact that you work from home, entails a lot of self-discipline. It’s so easy to get lost in the internet, if you allow yourself to be distracted. I agree that external distractions cannot be controlled most of the time, but distractions in the internet happens if you allow them to happen 🙂 Setting a daily goal and strictly following it helps me to get my work done quickly.
It is definitely a huge adjustment working at home versus working outside the home. I’ve been working at home full-time now for six years, and the ironic thing is I finally just got used to the swing of things, and now that I’m transitioning into writing have to start over and plan a totally different strategy for myself, lol! I completely agree with you about setting daily goals. It helps you feel less lost when you’re starting out, and as you check things off, at the end of the week you can feel the progress, which fuels you forward to the next week. It’s quite exciting! 🙂
You’re so right! I know for a lot of people there is that urge to always be available, in an honest attempt to balance everything out and accomodate those they care about, when in fact, the opposite ends up happening, since you’re not working through your schedule on your own terms. It can be a tough habit to break, but totally doable!
Hello! I realize this is kind of off-topic however I needed to ask. Does operating a well-established website like yours require a massive amount work? I am completely new to blogging but I do write in my diary every day. I’d like to start a blog so I will be able to share my experience and feelings online. Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for new aspiring blog owners. Appreciate it!
Hi there Latanya! Some days my blogging efforts take longer to complete than others–typically, I spend 2-3 hours per day, Monday to Friday, on my blog. Some writers post on average 1-3 times per week; I decided to post daily because it suits the theme of my blog, which is “keeping the passion for writing alive.” I blog daily to give other writers the boost they need to keep writing, regardless of how hectic their schedule is, and I find blogging daily to be a great way to jumpstart my own writing projects. It keeps me creatively “exercised.” The key is to create a blogging schedule right from the get-go, and incorporate it into your daily schedule. On days you’re going to be away, schedule your posts in advance so you can continue building your following even when you’re not in your office. I highly recommend blogging; it’s an amazing creative outlet, and if you’re already writing in your diary every day, I have no doubt you’ll be able to maintain a successful blogging schedule. Feel free to e-mail me any time if you have any questions: info@krissybrady.com. I’m happy to help. 🙂