Technically there more ways to stay focus. I’m going to give you a few more tips on it. Remember your goal is important and getting to the finish line becomes your ultimate achievement. Staying motivated is important to finish your tasks hence finishing your book.
Reasonable Objectives – We talked about this previously. Do not set the bar that high that you can’t even fathom reaching it. 100 words, 500, finishing the climax. Too many things can lead to headaches, anxiety, and other things. We want you to stay sane and deliver all those great stories to the world. Step one foot in front of the other and slowly create your book. If you give it time those reasonable objectives will look like five chapters, ten, a finished manuscript.
Slow and steady wins the race – Same as before. Remember when the hare race the tortoise and crashed and lost the race. Why sprint to the finish line when you can go on your own pace laser-focused on getting to the end? I remember writing the Reign of Darkness after Hurricane María. Without electricity for a few months. Again I went one day at a time, by the time the electricity came back five months later I was finishing it, getting ready to edit it. No matter the circumstances you are in, just don’t stop.
Deadlines – This is something critical and achievable. If you set to write 4,000 words in one week, each time you write you will get closer to your goal. But if you drag your word count later to the week it could pile up to other tasks and more if an unexpected situation appears that you can’t brush off. Set your deadline, schedule, and set your reasonable objectives and make yourself accountable to achieve them.
Breaks – Hey, we need them. Sometimes bottling everything up can lead to headaches. Anxiety. You need to know yourself and know when you are close to getting to your limits. If you set a timer for two hours, and you are writing a very stressful scene, and you need to take a break, take it. Sometimes you will not be 100% into writing, into the scene, into nothing. Taking breaks is good for mental health. A break is completely different from a hiatus from your project. Take breaks if you need to, but don’t postpone your work so much that your project is a mirage of what you wanted in the first place.
Build Discipline – Set your objectives and complete them. Set yourself to write often, that way it would feel wrong when you are not writing. Read, write, and learn. This is one of the only crafts that you might never be able to master. Why is that? Styles, times change, the market changes. Learning how to focus is a way to be disciplined. When you say you are going to do something, do it. Keep on track, avoid distractions, and set yourself to pass the finish line.
Check your habits – This is important. You know when you want to slack off. You feel it when you want to be more productive. When your hand is going to your phone to get to social media, that mobile game, get yourself focus to tackle your To-Do list. Discipline yourself so that your bad habits are on bay and your good ones are put to work.
What time in the day do you produce more? – This one is very good when scheduling. You will keep close attention to when you feel better or when you achieve more during the day. Some people are morning persons, others are night owls. Check what time in the day suits you better and schedule around it, that way you can get more out of your day and tackle your To-Do list.
Diet – We talked previously about fueling your body. When we talk about the diet I mean those excesses that might make you crash. I love coffee, but too much might keep me up all night, thus not resting like I’m supposed to. Too many sugary stuff can spike our working mode then make you… crash again. You got to eat, so eat. But don’t get overboard that you need to stop because you have a tummy ache. Writing is a stressful situation. Be disciplined. Check your habits. Control yourself. A cup of wine while writing is good but too much, you can get drunk or have a hangover. So remember moderation.
Treat Yourself – What’s all work with no fun? Something that is going to get old very fast. At the same time, positive reinforcement helps us focus and do more repetitive tasks that are proposed to us. You get paid to work. That can be an incentive. What if your goal for today is 500 words, and you do it? How about a cup of ice cream? You want to play video games so bad, but it interrupts your writing. What about if you write one whole chapter you get a day off of writing and game without feeling bad about it? Achieving your goals and getting a treat for it might help you continue moving forward till the end of your journey.
Exercise – Okay, okay. Maybe this is an insult to many. Exercise is tough. We have goals to keep, and exercising might take time off our precious writing. But let’s say for a moment that the words are not pouring in. Same as reading and writing to keep exercising our brain to have better weapons when we sit to write, our body needs to take care of. Plus if you exercise you release endorphins that trigger a positive feeling similar to morphine. If you want to use it as a break glass in case of emergency, do it like that. But maybe that exercise can help you focus, and at the same time know your body. As you are knowing your body you will know how far the human body can go if you are writing about something physical, hence writing more believable scenes.
Declutter your workplace – This is something very personal. Sometimes we have things lying around where we work. Sticky notes. Something you recently bought and wanted to check it out. Pencils. Pens. Whatever it is, having a very clutter place of work can drown you even distract you from your goal. For many people being organized is key. Don’t let your clutter insert itself into your writing. To your life. Sometimes a quick detox on your work area is needed. Imagine having a writer’s block because you are having a mental battle between writing and cleaning.
What else can you do to stay focus? After this, it is something you need to look into your own self or even into a group. If you can’t do things completely on your own, surround yourself with a helping cast. People that will help you move forward and not get you stuck. Also if you are going to have writing colleagues make sure that we are talking about people that want the best of you. Some people tend to be perceived as nice, but just want you to do good but not better than them. A good support group can also motivate you, keep your focus, and help you cross the finish line.
Keep moving forward, and do your best. Keep focus and keep writing mis amigos.