How To Fight Distractions While Writing
Lesson from Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman follows a strict personal rule for fighting distractions while writing.
He goes to a secluded space and tells himself: "All I'm allowed to do is absolutely nothing, or write."
"Nothing" means sitting at his desk and staring out at the world.
He's not allowed to read a book, do a crossword, phone a friend, etc.
He can either:
Do absolutely nothing
Write
"But writing is actually more interesting than doing nothing, after a while," Gaiman says.
Takeaway 1:
If you have trouble focusing, don't give yourself the opportunity to get distracted.
Go to a secluded space with only the materials needed for writing.
Takeaway 2:
Giving yourself permission to do nothing will actually help you build your creative muscle.
How much of modern life is taken up by our constant use of phones and computers?
Even if I'm on a walk I'll listen to music or a podcast. I need to get better at tuning out completely and letting my thoughts wander.
Want to go deeper? There are 2 ways I can help you:
Great advice.