Ooh, shiny.
Some days I feel like I’m juggling a dozen things at once and getting nothing done. Being someone who’s easily distracted, I find it hard to stay focused on one particular thing for long periods of time. Instead, I open up a dozen windows and move back and forth through each of them, giving them split attention, and wasting time in the process.
Here are some methods that have helped me get work done despite my short attention span.
Break it up into smaller pieces
Don’t think of your project as a single piece of work. Think of it as a bunch of paragraphs or sections. Heck, I can’t even write a blog entry in one go. Lack of focus is a weakness and I have to work around it. So I just work with whatever I have. If I’m able to write two pages in one sitting, that’s great, but I’m equally happy if I can do two paragraphs. It’s not a speed writing competition. I try to come back to it every few hours or days (depending on the deadline) so that it doesn’t get neglected.
Work with self-imposed deadlines
Will complete 500 words of manuscript by so-and-so date, so-and-so time.
Keep multiple projects on the go
If you’re tired, bored, or blocked on one, you can move to the other. My magic number tends to hover around five or six, but you could try alternating between two or three just to give your brain something else to focus on when you’re hitting a roadblock on one.
Get a goal buddy
It’s easier to stay focused and on-track if you have someone to report to. Goal buddies can come in the form of a single person you can send weekly reports to, or writing groups where everyone shares their work and gives and gets feedback. There are also several writing challenges available online where writers try to meet a fixed target every week or month and motivate each other to reach their goals.
Get rid of the distractions
It helps to turn off everything when you have an assignment you need to focus on. I tend to turn off the music, disconnect the Internet, close all browser windows, and shut the door to my room. Putting myself in a closed space helps me focus better and feel less tempted to fiddle with something else.
How do you keep yourself focused when there are so many other things begging for your attention?