As a life coach, when working with writers who are looking
to be more productive one of the first areas, I focus on is their writing
routine and structure. During this
process one question that often receives a lot of surprise and resistance is
the following:
“When you sit down to write, what
is the first thing you do?”
Can you guess the number one answer I receive? If you said, ‘check emails and facebook’, you
are right. Many writers sit down at
their computer to work on a manuscript, but the first program they open is their
email or facebook. Maybe it’s a quick 5
minutes, but often 20+ minutes have passed before they begin writing.
If you are someone who has the luxury to
write full-time, it’s not a big deal. But
for many writers who are trying to squeeze their writing into their already
full life, they just gave away twenty valuable writing minutes.
What I encourage writers to do is protect their writing
time. That means when they you are ready
to write, focus only on writing. Once your writing session is over, then you
can check emails or facebook, if you have time.
This simple change in how you approach your writing will
help you keep your attention on your intent to write. Try this and you might just have your most
productive writing year yet.
For more information check out www.donorth.biz
or folllow her at:http://theadvantagepoint.wordpress.comhttp://www.helpingchidrencope.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/do_northhttp://facebook.com/DoNorth.biz
13 comments:
Oh, Mary Jo. I needed you today! Thank you, thank you, thank you! New Year's resolution. Listen to Mary Jo Guglielmo!
Best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Excited about how much the new edition of the Frugal Book Promoter (expanded! updated!) can help writers with the tried and true and the new media, too. Now a USA Book News award-winner in its own right (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) it the original edition was also a Reader Views winner and an Irwin Award winner.
Right Mary Jo. It's an hour into my writing time, and guess what? I haven't yet started to WRITE. Why? You had it wrong. I first checked an online survey I'm running! That was ALL I was going to do. But oh dear. Emails and FB are so important.
Thanks for the prod. As soon as I close THIS WINDOW I will begin to write. Promise!
This is very good advice. Checking email is a delaying tactic for me. I work at home and find that I am much more productive when I sit at a coffee house or the library. Thanks for this reminder!
When I read your question I thought "email and Words With Friends".
Guilty as charged!
I wonder why we do this? Are we stressed and need that down-time or is it just a bad habit? What did writers do before emails and such?
This is one discipline I will focus on. Thanks for the reminder! Sometimes we need to hear it over and over!
Kathy
Mary Jo you are so right. It's hard to resist the lure of that 'ding', but when writing time is limited, we certainly need to protect it. Thanks for the reminder.
Glad it was good timing. Let me know who it goes.
The best way to make it happen, is commit to try it for two weeks.
I find that is true for me also. The reason is when I go to a coffee house with laptop in hand it's to write. So, that's the only thing I focus on. Have a special writing location or time is also helpful.
I find when trying to add a new discipline, I set a timed period that I commit to. Often two or three weeks. After that time I can decide if it works for me.
I turn off the dings alerts when I need to focus.
LOL, Mary Jo, I think most of us are guilty of going to email or social media as soon as we're online. For me it's email. I rationalize that I have to check on emails from clients or students, but I could definitely do that after I put in at lease some writing time.
Then in my emails, I see all the great information waiting to be read from those I subscribe to.
It's all about discipline.
Great advice. Thanks for sharing.
Discipline is a combination of work and routine.
Oh yes! the time wasters are so tempting, and it's hard to settle down to real writing. One thing that keeps me away from writing is keeping up with newsletters and blogs. So informative and entertaining, but oh, such a backlog it develops. So long on the runway, and no time in the air! Thanks for the reminder—will try to apply.
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