December 2 Prompt
Author: Leo Babauta
focusmanifesto.com
@zen_habitsPrompt: Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
Distract and procrastinate.
Aren’t those two of the most powerful tools in a writer’s bag of tricks?
In the thirty minutes or so since I started writing this post , I’ve chosen and fiddled with my choice of background music, flipped in and out of Twitter a few times, gotten Sean a snack and written some truly awful material.
I’m pretty sure I’m distracting myself from answering the hard questions here. Next I’ll procrastinate on actually answering the question.
I’m not so sure I can eliminate distraction and procrastination from my life completely, but I can certainly try to control it better.
How do you control your levels of procrastination and distraction while writing?
Hmmm…I wouldn’t know anything about procrastination. What’s that, you say? I have an assignment due tomorrow? I should probably clean my house first, just to make sure I’ve set the mood appropriately. Yeah, I’m big on that whole “I’ll do it later” deal. How do I control it? I’ll tell you…just as soon as I finish looking at Facebook.
I know I’m procrastinating on the writing when I start cleaning house. I keep thinking in my head the writing is a reward for my hard work. Sometimes I even buy that excuse from myself. 🙂
It helps me if I set my timer to a certain time, then I walk away and take a break for 15 minutes. It also helps if I set up my computer at my desk in a separate room (more quiet and isolated) as opposed to the living room, in front of the tv. Good luck with your struggles!
If I set my laptop up away from the living room, my husband and I would never see each other. I like to sit in the same room so if he’s watching something that’s distracting me, I’ll stick my headphones on and zone out. That way we’re still sitting together but doing our own things – and no one fights over the remote!
The timer is definitely a good idea. Have never tried it seriously, but may need to start.
distraction and procrastination … my 2 biggest nemeses … may 2011 see them diminish for both of us