Many thanks to Michael today for this GREAT set of steps to follow in order to GET STUFF DONE. If your new year’s resolution is to get your screenplay or novel, make sure you bookmark this!
Want even MORE productivity tips? Then download my free ebook, NO EXCUSES: THE B2W GUIDE ON GETTING IT DONE by clicking on the link, or on the pic below. If you like it, please rate it on Goodreads. Thanks!
You sit down at your computer ready to write, but after thirty minutes or so you lose focus and your mind wanders. How do we remain focused and not waste time allocated to writing? Let’s have a look and see how we can be productive when sitting down to write:
1) Create an ‘area of focus’
This is very important. You need to create a space that tells your brain it is time to work. If you are lying around on the couch and 2 minutes later try and write in the same comfy spot, you might not regain focus. Your brain sees the couch as a moment to unwind and relax.
Reason: When it is time to work, you need to have a dedicated area where your brain can make that ‘switch’. MORE: 3 Best Ways To Organise Your Writing Office
2) Switch off
Trust me, my electronics have become my biggest distraction! Even if I put my phone on vibrate, I still have the need to check every zzzzzzzzz on my phone. I try and convince myself it might be important. The internet is not much better … if I am struggling with a sentence structure, this is all it takes for me to go on a search online that is totally irrelevant to my writing.
Reason: You can get a lot more done without the constant beeps, zzzzzzzzzs, open windows or pop-up ads! MORE: Find tools that will keep your writing time distraction-free, here
3) Be organised
We see this tip in many areas of work but it is also most of the time taken for granted. If you sit down to write and suddenly see the pile of papers on the corner of the table, you will convince yourself to fix the situation. Sort the pile of papers out before you start writing. These things cause huge distraction. Make sure you have everything you need to start writing and not leaving your desk until you’re done. Get your water, snacks and everything else you need to be productive.
Reason: Sort everything you need to stay focused in advance. MORE: 5 Habits of Highly Productive Writers
4) Get important tasks behind you
If there is something important you have to do, do it before you sit down to write? Sometimes, I need to complete a work assignment and it is all I can think about. Sitting down to write with this grey area in your mind will cause you to not focus. All you will be thinking about is the assignment you need to hand in by the end of the day. I suggest, get all those tasks behind you in order for you to start writing with a clear mind.
Reason: Make space in your mind for your writing. You make that space by getting everything else out of the way. MORE: 13 Tips From Popular Bloggers To Beat Procrastination And Write Productively
5) Edit when you’re done!
Get the creative side out of the way before you start editing. Some people believe in editing as they go along but this can waste so much time. Also, editing as you go along can curb your creativity and you can very quickly find yourself in an uncreative spot. Write your heart out, even if you know that sentence does not sound correct. You can always go through the entire piece when you’re done and polish it up.
Reason: Editing as you go along will curb your creative flow. MORE: Top 10 Tips On Being A Productive Writer
Use these tips to become a more productive writer from this moment on. We all learn from our mistakes and that is okay. In order for you to use your time effectively you have to be organised and focused. None of us have time to waste, so it is important to put steps in place to get there. Good luck!
BIO: Michael Nix works as a content manager at SentenceRephraser.com and guest post writing is his hobby. He also writes poems and short stories and dreams of publishing his own book. Michael travels a lot and enjoys his life.
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CLICK HERE to download it, or on the pic above. Enjoy!
