By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I think of myself as a pretty productive writer. But this winter has been the toughest ever for me in terms of being able to finish a project.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m behind on my current book. And I never like to think of myself as behind…I start each day fresh with no catching up.
However, at this point, it’s time for this particular book to be finished with. My freelance editor is waiting for it. My beta reader is waiting for it. I have been emailed several times about it by readers (I’d been smart this time and said ‘spring 2015’ to keep it vague. Now they’re emailing to ask exactly what spring means).
In some ways, I’ve remained fairly productive. I’d heard the advice, years ago, about creating first. I’ve worked on the book, as is my habit, every morning before five shortly after waking up. I know what I’m going to write each morning, so the daily work has been completed quickly. I meet that day’s page goal before anyone else gets up.
My problem is the rest of the day and the part where I’m making up for lost time. I told a friend of mine on Monday that I just felt so scattered. I’m pulled in so many different directions at once. This is everything from the personal (college-related forms, a new water heater, a change in prescription provider, sick children, various middle school carpool catastrophes, and tax-related stuff) to the professional (recent interviews, blog-related issues, copyedits for another project, back and forth with book reviewers, business with my editor, and a talk I’m giving in a couple of weeks at the Macon, Georgia, Cherry Blossom Festival).
It’s tough when every task seems like an emergency. When we start working on one thing, remember another priority, and stop what we’re doing to switch over.
Which is why, when I came across an article by Time magazine a few days ago, I found it especially helpful. It’s “The Morning Routine Experts Recommend for Peak Productivity” by Eric Barker. In it, Barker has five ways to maintain productivity. They’re: stop reacting, decide what matters today, use your ‘magic hours’ for the top 3 important things, have a starting ritual, and ‘positive procrastination.’
I particularly like the ideas of the three most important things each day and the ‘magic hours’. Regarding ‘the most important things’, Barker states:
What will let you end the day feeling like you accomplished something? No more than 3 goals.
The ‘magic hours’ you can probably figure out. Barker references Duke University behavioral economist Dan Ariely:
Dan says you have 2-2.5 hours of peak productivity every day. You may actually be 30% more effective at that time.
When everything seems like an emergency, this approach provides a thoughtful way to examine, reorder, and prioritize my tasks.
It’s easy for me to see where I’ve gotten off track the last few months. Some days I’ve squandered my magic hours by using them for high-energy activities like housework. Sometimes I haven’t done a brain dump to create a master to-do list. Sometimes I haven’t prioritized the items on my list or staggered the tasks on the calendar. I’m reacting all the time, spinning my wheels, scrambling to get everything done at once.
Identifying the three daily priorities has helped me focus. I realize that I can edit my three top tasks at any time if things come up. Or, since my productive magic hours are in the morning, maybe I’ve already done my three things by the time the emergency crops up. This means that last week my day wouldn’t have been nearly as knocked off course when a snowstorm was (allegedly…meteorologists blew it) approaching and I suddenly was saddled with a teen with a respiratory infection and an elderly corgi experiencing a sudden, immediate health issue. I’d have finished my important tasks by then and would have edited my list to the new most important things: my child’s appointment and prescription pick-up, the corgi’s vet appointment, and possibly a shopping trip for wine in advance of the storm. :)
So it’s sort of like having an outline…for my day. A flexible one that can be adjusted as needs arise, just as my story outlines are adjusted when something interesting comes up in my story.
I know a lot of the writers here with a business background and day jobs will likely find this all familiar. I’ve seen similar tactics online but nothing as succinct as this. It definitely has improved my working from home strategy. For one thing, it takes that panicky feeling away…the feeling that I’ve got to jump in and fix something immediately. I’ve figured out all the things that I know about that need to be addressed and put them on my calendar in a more orderly fashion.
Do you ever feel scattered? How do you approach it?
Image: Death to the Stock Photo: Wired
The list. All hail the list.
I like to think of the list as how the Romans conquered the world.
There is no focus without the list for me. Welcome, comrade.
Jack–Lists!
I’m sure that’s how the Romans were so successful with their campaigns. :)
I’m a list lover, but lately my lists have been too weighed down and I feel as if I haven’t accomplished *anything* even when I’ve finished half the list. That’s why I think the ‘3 things’ part resonated with me.
Most days, I only write down ONE thing. One thing I absolutely WILL get done today.
Just as Rosanne “Around the Writer’s Block” Bane recommends making a 15-minute commitment to writing every day, but setting goals for longer times, I commit to ONE thing, but set goals for more.
Meet the commitment, every single day.
Stretch for the goals whenever it makes sense.
Joel–I like that approach…a commitment and goals.
I’ve gotten on top of this overwhelm and it’s a nice feeling.
I feel busy.
My morning hours are the most productive at work, but when I’m writing, the evening hours are most productive.I wonder if my peak hours are flexible depending on what I’m doing?
Alex–Maybe because you’re using different parts of your brain? Sometimes I feel the same. I edit better in the afternoon than the morning.
These are such good ideas, Elizabeth! I especially like the idea of finding out when your peak hours – ‘magic hours’ – are and using them. I try to divide what I have to do in any given day between things that take a lot of mental energy, and things that take more physical (but perhaps, less mental) energy. Then it’s easier to figure out when to do which things.
Margot–I like that idea. My housework and yard work (yard work coming soon as the weather warms) has still got to be done. I’m thinking that in the afternoon, when I’m dragging a little, maybe forcing myself to do it then would get it accomplished and chase the grogginess away.
A scattered day here or there is Life and nothing to worry about–it’s reasonable to factor it in. In my case, it should take twelve 10K-word weeks to bang out the first draft of a 10K-word novel at the rate of 2K per working day (allowing for 20K to be thrown out during the second draft). Three months. But Life being what it is, an extra percentage of time must be allowed for the FUBAR periods, and they inevitably happen, especially in lives that include children, pets, the elderly, environmental extremes, marginal incomes, health issues and–let’s face it–other people. No getting away from it. The more of those elements you have, the more extra time that needs to be factored in. Oh, and aging–don’t forget to factor that in, too. 40 ain’t 25 and 60 sure as heck ain’t 40. It takes serious energy to write, and Life does like to sap one’s available energy.
The magic hours are critical to keep things going, along with keeping my nerve. I tell myself that this, too, will pass. When I step back from the sense of panic, it’s so much easier to find ways to re-stake my writerly claim on my time–and that’s what helps me stay focused. Productive time and focus seem to make a good feedback loop.
Meg–That’s about where I am…usually 3 months each book. Except this book! Argh.
You’re right about factoring in these other elements. Sometimes I have *nothing* else going on. Sometimes everything happens at once. This all cranked up around September and hasn’t slowed down. You’re also right about the energy levels! My dad told me recently that he loved his 40s…that he felt *so great* then. I answered, “Really? Because I haven’t felt so great.” I’m wondering if he were just comparing his 40s to being 68!
Managing the panic is key, so true. Order, focus, productivity.
In “Entreleadership,” Dave Ramsey gives good tips about list-making for productivity.
Not only should we list everything that needs to be done, but everything gets a label based on its immediate importance. “A” must be done first, “B” can wait, and “C” might even be able to wait until tomorrow or later in the week.
This has been so helpful, especially balancing a full-time job, a family, and my writing dreams.
Thank you for the post!
Noah–That sounds like a really useful way to quickly rate how urgent the tasks are. I like it!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Noah…thanks for coming by.
Wow this whole article speaks to me and THIS is what my next blog post will be on, but this sentence “It’s tough when every task seems like an emergency.” speaks to me the most.
On my best day, I’m scattered thinking, so on days of emergencies, I’m devastated. Lately, I’m losing my way. I can’t accomplish anything, so I’ve quit everything except going to work and coming home. You always inspire me.
PS Love your new photo.
Teresa–I remember you’ve had some posts where you mentioned feeling scattered and I *totally* related. I’ve told many people that I wonder if I have adult ADHD. But I think it’s just me feeling like everything is being thrown at me at once.
Hope that article helps you as much as it helped me. And thanks!
Scattered! That’s me. I do my best work in the morning. And then a strange thing happens after lunch. The hours fly by and I don’t seem to finish anything.
Diane–Isn’t it weird how that happens? I’ll look at the clock in the afternoon and it will suddenly be 4:30 and I won’t have a single, completely-accomplished task from the past few hours.
Margie Lawson teaches something similar to your list above – and it is very helpful. However, when I feel “scattered” like you’re describing I often just need a day off to clear my head. I call it “being against the wall.” I don’t like the feeling and it messes with the quality of my work. So very occasionally I will recognize I’m only human and allow myself a break. Then it’s back to work! Best wishes with your deadline.
Vannetta–Thanks for the tip! I agree with you that sometimes a break can fix the issue.
Hello ,
Thanks a lot Elezabith!
I like the idea of the “magic hours”.
Asmaa,
Asmaa–Thanks for coming by. :)
Oh boy have you hit a big topic!
And you have great advice there — I’ve used a number of those items in the past. On the other hand…. sometimes it doesn’t just seem like everything is an emergency, sometimes everything IS an emergency. And sometimes, emergency or not, that top priority has to be something other than what you want it to be.
I am a great believer in stepping back and taking care of those other things that are distracting and scattering you.
I do find that sometimes the thing that hurts you most is that natural desire to make every minute count, and to multitask and to not let things set you back. You feel like you’re giving up if you let up for just a minute. But really, all that pressing can be what is setting you back.
I find that sometimes, like right now for me, the secret is with Mary Poppins. Turn it into a game. Take the pressure off. Let writing be the thing that you escape too — and that may mean you have to kill the deadlines, or even set aside current projects. Do something that you can convince yourself doesn’t matter.
That’s one of the reasons I came up with The Story Game a while back. And just now, as I juggle Jury Duty and a few other things, I am taking that to another stage with an experiment I call Xtreme Outlining. I’m not allowing myself to actually write just now. (Which takes the pressure off, but also makes me really seriously look forward to when I start again.)
Camille: You’re so right…sometimes everything *is* an emergency! I think, for me, once I have a day where I’m faced with a series of emergencies (sick child, vital appliance broken, etc.) then I get in that reactive mindset. Then the *next* day, when all the necessary tasks are still *very important*, but not *emergencies*, I continue that reactive pattern.
And that desire you talk about to make every minute count…yes! That’s totally what I do. And with a sprinkling of being a control freak on top of it. :)
Jury Duty–good of you to serve. I was last called six years ago. Once the defense attorneys heard that I was a mystery writer, I was dismissed. A lawyer later told me that defense attorneys don’t like wild cards. :)
Sorry I’m late to the party, but I love this so much. I’d just add that smaller daily goals are making it possible to get things done consistently (writing, exercising, homeschooling, etc.). It wouldn’t matter how much time I had to myself, a really big task would feel more overwhelming than consistent small ones. And when life throws me something like a spouse who needs surgery over the holidays, it doesn’t feel like I’m never going to be able to make it up.
I also think it can’t be overstated how important it is to say “no” when feeling scattered is a problem.
Thanks, Deb! Hope your spouse is much better soon…I know surgery is tough to get over.
Saying no…such an important tip. I’ve gotten so much better about protecting my time now than I used to be.