If you want to publish in magazines and/or with mainstream publishers, you have to do one thing first: write
But finding time and energy to write is really hard when there are just so many easy and accessible distractions.
Exhibit A: I sat down to write this post and proceeded to first do the following things:
- Scrolled through news headlines on my phone;
- Chatted with my excellent friend Anita on Slack;
- Checked my email;
- Responded to a text from my excellent friend Danielle;
- Saw that a story about a unicorn puppy was trending on Google and immediately clicked on it;
- Checked out an ebook from the library; and
- Slacked my husband (who is literally across the hall) a Parks and Rec gif…for no reason.
So how long has it taken me to write this post? I honestly don’t know because I keep interrupting myself.
My digital distractions are out of control. So I did some research on just how bad those digital distractions are on writing output. It’s pretty bad, you guys.
I have some tips for managing digital distractions in an article here. A lot of getting published is just putting in the time. You have to write to write!
How do you manage digital distractions and actually get writing done? Taking all advice!
Christine Seifert 
Thanks very good post interesting.
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Digital distractions – the bane of our time! Before now, I didn’t have a succinct name like that for it (where have I been?), or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention 😊 However, once we name something, it’s easier to identify and act on.
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Remove all distractions- no devices and no tabs open only Word. Try the Pomodora Technique 40 minutes of absolutely no distractions and then reward your self for 10 minutes.
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Honestly, I trained myself to think of it only as a distraction to what I am doing. I want to live life, not watch it pass by. Which of the two is more likely to happen if you’re on your phone 24/7? Yes, it is simple as that. But, even if you know the right answer in theory, getting of your phone is hard. I guess it takes time to understand that scrolling and liking won’t make you happy in the long run.
Thank you for another great post. ❤
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I’ve started instituting a once-per-week block of time for writing, when I put away the phone and the computer, and go analog and write by hand. Primitive? Maybe. But my notebook has no open tabs.
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