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The Key to Consistent Writing Is Ignoring Everything Around You
You don’t need to be smarter, you need fewer distractions.
The world is noisy.
If my phone is near me, I will pick it up every 10 minutes and scroll through social media. If I’m on my computer, I’m distracted by tabs I have open.
The world wants my attention. The news wants my attention. Social media wants my attention. This was a problem for me. Until I changed my routine as a writer.
If you want to be a consistent writer, you have to close out the world. You don’t need to be smarter, you need fewer distractions.
Put your phone in another room
Whenever my phone is near me, I feel compelled to look at it every few minutes.
To prevent this from happening, I put my phone in another room. I put it upstairs because I’m less likely to walk up the stairs and grab it.
I’m more disciplined because I have to write. I have to figure out what to say without my greatest distraction near me. I make myself more accountable.
Set a 30-minute timer
A 30-minute timer is a perfect constraint.
