Trying to Blog? Get Rid of the Distractions
-
Ruth Ann
-
October 20th, 2014
Every once in a while, I come across some truly useful advice about writing and blogging. Most of them are about overcoming writers'--or bloggers'--block but recently, I came across an EZines piece about creating time to blog. This seems to be the #1 reason people don't blog: they can't find the time to squeeze in yet another task.
EZines says you can. I've picked through their list and combined a few items to make it seem less daunting. Take a look at their suggestions and mine, and see if any are worth a try.
Put Aside Distractions that Keep You From Writing!
I manage a few Facebook pages and let me tell you, Betty White was right: it's a gigantic time-suck. Facebook is definitely a drug and now that they've added emoticon buttons, it isn't getting easier to resist. I do wish I could program Facebook to open to a business page instead of my personal one but at least they've made it very easy to jump off the page that's showing all the cute kitten videos and on to one of the pages I'm supposed to be on.
EZines is a little tough here: "Stop playing games and surfing social media" it scolds. Maybe a more realistic move would be to schedule 15 minutes of social media time, twice a day, and stick to the schedule.
EZines is also big on removing distractions like disconnecting the Internet (not a good idea if you research as you write) and turning off your phone. The second one isn't a bad idea. I also suggest turning off the radio/TV/iTunes if you find they are no longer providing background noise but are becoming too interesting. It may seem eerily quiet, but silence really can help you focus once you get used to it.
Tidy is Boring: Organize Your Office
A messy office supposedly indicates a person is disorganized but I maintain it indicates a wide range of interests and/or responsibilities. Unfortunately, these interests and responsibilities can also be really distracting. It's a well-known fact that offices beg to be cleaned up at precisely the time you planned to blog.
EZines says to remove clutter after-hours, which I do heartily endorse. In fact, I rearranged my home office a few months ago and have my laptop and screen on a very narrow desk that can only hold a few items on it. I have another, a secretary, that holds all my stuff--mail, business cards, office supplies, etc. If it looks really bad, I can close it up. Out of sight, out of mind.
Get on a Recognizable Schedule and Include Writing/Blogging
If you work in an office with other people, you may need to break them in to your schedule by making it as obvious as you can that you're scheduling your time: not just for blogging but other tasks that have fallen by the wayside. Put it on your Outlook calendar; it will not only serve to remind you that you need to do this, but if it's shared, people will see that you're serious about this task.
If you can, get your writing done at a time that the people immediately around you are busy or even better, are in meetings that you aren't part of. I once worked near some salespeople and boy, were they noisy. But when they were out of the office selling things, it was amazing how much work my colleagues and I (another writer, a graphic designer, and two web developers) were able to complete ahead of schedule.