Tag: focus

A Few Tools for Focusing

Tools for Writers

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I thought I’d share a few tools that I’ve recently come across that might help writers stay focused and motivated.

First off is a free timer.  I’ve mentioned here many times (including here and here) how helpful I find timers for nearly every task that I do.  It somehow helps to get through a task when you know that it will be over quickly.  It can also help me stay on track because I won’t allow myself to be distracted by anything else until the timer goes off.   I’m a particular fan of the Pomodoro Technique (see more about it on the creator’s site here) , so when I found this free timer that aligns with the approach, I was excited to use it.  The timer is also customizable.

Next off is a new twist on an old idea.  It’s called a to-don’t list.  I first found out about it when reading this article from Emily Price on Lifehacker.  The idea is to stay focused by no allowing yourself to be distracted by your usual suspects…looking at Facebook or checking emails or Twitter, for example.  You could use this in correlation with a timer, knowing that when the timer goes off, you can reward yourself on your break by checking in online.

The third is a tool that I haven’t tried myself (I’m more of a solo writer and not a gamer), but which I found interesting. It’s called 4 the Words and it’s set up like a game for reaching word counts.  You win points for meeting writing challenges involving word counts.   A caveat that it’s $4 a month, but there is a 30 day free trial where you could see if it’s helpful.

For a free year-long challenge, check out author and illustrator Debbie Ohi’s Daily Words Challenge.  You can even collect badges. :)  And it’s much more gently-paced than NaNoWriMo because you can set your own goals.

For other lists of tools to help with focusing, writing, or editing your work, see these posts:

67 Top Tools for Writers and Bloggers by Mary Jaksch of Write to Done

Top 10 Online Tools for Writers by Ali Hale of Daily Writing Tips

What helps you stay focused on your writing?

Tools for Keeping Focused as a Writer: Click To Tweet

Photo on Foter.com

Single-Tasking for Productivity

Motivation and the Writing Life, Uncategorized

Stressed woman puts both hands to her head as the post title "Single-Tasking for Productivity" is superimposed on the top.

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I used to think that I was a fairly adept multitasker, as long as one of the tasks was something completely mindless (I could stir things in a pot and make a list at the same time.  I could vacuum and brainstorm).  But after instances  where I’ve spattered supper on the stove and vacuumed up things that weren’t supposed to be vacuumed, I’ve come to the realization that I really shouldn’t multitask at all.

I’ve made an effort to dial it back and become more effective at focusing on a single task.

Is it really multitasking?

In the article “Brain, Interrupted” by New York Time columnists Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson, they stated:

In fact, multitasking is a misnomer. In most situations, the person juggling e-mail, text messaging, Facebook and a meeting is really doing something called “rapid toggling between tasks,” and is engaged in constant context switching.

The danger in this, as stated in the article, is that we may never really return to the main task we needed to work on.  The other tasks act as distractions … or maybe, more accurately, deterrents…to our productivity.Continue reading

Scroll to top