I am in the happy predicament of having two book projects to focus on. One of my own, and one for a ghostwriting clients—that have the same aggressive deadline.(It’s kind of like exams for me at the moment—and honestly. I always loved exams. High stakes, short duration, plenty of high jinks mixed in with the hard work. I’ll be on the other side soon enough.)
Which has gotten me to focus on the idea of being focused, and how to pop into that zone more readily so that you can get a lot of good work done without depleting yourself in the process.
Here are some things I’ve unearthed on my own and through reading Deep Work, by Cal Newport, that have helped me carve out dedicated chunks of time for work that requires a lot of that.
Consolidate your schedule
Have calls first thing in the morning and just before the end of the day, but leave the heart of the day for the good stuff; including a lunch-time walk to clear your head and build a buffer between two multi-hour blocks of concentration.
Have designated non-work times
Like, on that mid-day walk—no checking or responding to emails or having a work-related call. Call a friend, listen to a podcast, or enjoy the quiet. The more you need time to focus and get work done, the more you need times when you don’t. Don’t just wait for those times to happen—figure out when they’re going to be beforehand and then honor them.
Call an end to the work day
At some point, declare that you are done. Preferably at least 30 minutes before you get in bed so you can do some winding down beforehand.
Manage availability and expectations
I have been using the Self Control app, where you can block access to certain websites which is helping me wean myself from my habit of popping over to Facebook to check in after I write a few sentences. It’s not easy! But that dependency on distraction is changing. Also, I haven’t gotten one yet but there are apps where you can do a similar thing by putting your phone into airplane mode for a certain number of minutes. That should help not me not get distracted by texts.
Also, let people know that you’re letting your inbox languish a bit and to not expect a return. You can update your signature file to say as much, or set an autoresponder, or just explain when you finally do write back (if you do) why it was a longer time than might be expected.
Check email less
Check email less. Check email less. Check email less. Check email less. Check email less.
Don’t freak out
when things take longer. If you’re trying to motor but don’t hit your goal, challenge yourself to be OK with that and focus on your long-term goal and not so much on the timing of the steps along the way. When you take a long-term view, there’s a lot more leeway. So long as you get there, who cares when all the individual steps happened?
Did I mention check email less? No, seriously.
If you’ve got focus-gathering and/or distraction-wrangling tips to share I’d love to hear ‘em! Leave a comment below. I probably won’t respond back, but I will absolutely read them. During the much fewer times a day when I check my email. Which will not be on a mid-day walk. =)
SO helpful! Thank you, Kate. As a creative person with ADHD (emphasis on the first D…distractible and dreamy) I’ve found giving myself buffer zones in my schedule makes me more productive and focused. It starts with a very long time slot for Miracle Morning rituals – journaling, meditating, walking. Then I allow myself a full hour for eating and reading, or decluttering and clearing, social media with intention. That way, when a three-hour work slot comes along, I don’t feel deprived (another D!). This is new to me and the opposite of those 15- or 20-minute time slots you see in planners. So far it’s working.