The Unfortunate Downside of Working at Home When You're a Writer
As any writer who also has to work a full-time or "day job" knows, the writing time we carve out for ourselves each day is precious.
This time is especially important if you have a long commute to and from work each day, although I've gotten some pretty good ideas while stuck in traffic jams!
(Can I pause for a minute to say what a lifesaver the Notes app on my phone is? Before that, I was trying to hold a notebook against the steering wheel - while stopped! - without honking the horn. Not a good idea. Though still not as potentially dangerous as the time I saw a guy shaving while in traffic. Yeah, that happened.)
Then there are the few of us who manage to acquire a position that allows us to work partially or fully at home. No time eaten up by commuting, no running around on lunch breaks...*sigh*.
Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?
Not always, my friends. While there are many, many pros to working at home, people often forget that when we accept a work-from-home position: You actually have to focus on your work!
I'm lucky in that it isn't difficult for me to focus on what needs to be done for my job, because during my working hours, my job has to be my priority. It's what's fair to those who employ me. And I don' t say that just because they could potentially be reading this, (Hi, everyone!), it would still be true even if I didn't have a public platform.
However, I have my weak moments like anyone else. The key (for me) is to have a system in place that allows me to acknowledge any ideas or distractions that might pop up and then put them aside until later when I'm off the clock.
Here are a few tricks I use to keep myself from wandering down the writerly path while I'm working:
1) I close my personal laptop and either put it in my desk, or sometimes even in a different room. Out of sight, (mostly) out of mind.
2) I keep a small notebook, or the Notes app on my phone, handy just in case an idea does pop into my head. But once I've written it down, I put the idea aside and turn back to my work.
3) I try to utilize my lunch breaks, if possible, to take more notes and/or get a short word count goal in. However, I ALWAYS SET AN ALARM to avoid going over my break time. I'm actually amazed at how many words I'm able to crank out in 45 minutes, knowing the clock is counting down.
Occasionally I'll try out other tactics as well. Lately I've been listening to writing/author promotion podcasts while I work. It gives me that connection to the writing world that I crave, without distracting from the task in front of me. I'm able to do both of these things at the same time without losing my concentration, but if you're the type of person who can only focus on one thing at a time, this tip may not be for you.
Tell me fellow writers, what techniques do you use when it's necessary to concentrate on a task outside of your writing life?
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| A good cup of coffee doesn't hurt either! |
This time is especially important if you have a long commute to and from work each day, although I've gotten some pretty good ideas while stuck in traffic jams!
(Can I pause for a minute to say what a lifesaver the Notes app on my phone is? Before that, I was trying to hold a notebook against the steering wheel - while stopped! - without honking the horn. Not a good idea. Though still not as potentially dangerous as the time I saw a guy shaving while in traffic. Yeah, that happened.)
Then there are the few of us who manage to acquire a position that allows us to work partially or fully at home. No time eaten up by commuting, no running around on lunch breaks...*sigh*.
Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?
Not always, my friends. While there are many, many pros to working at home, people often forget that when we accept a work-from-home position: You actually have to focus on your work!
I'm lucky in that it isn't difficult for me to focus on what needs to be done for my job, because during my working hours, my job has to be my priority. It's what's fair to those who employ me. And I don' t say that just because they could potentially be reading this, (Hi, everyone!), it would still be true even if I didn't have a public platform.
However, I have my weak moments like anyone else. The key (for me) is to have a system in place that allows me to acknowledge any ideas or distractions that might pop up and then put them aside until later when I'm off the clock.
Here are a few tricks I use to keep myself from wandering down the writerly path while I'm working:
 |
| Always keep a notebook handy! |
2) I keep a small notebook, or the Notes app on my phone, handy just in case an idea does pop into my head. But once I've written it down, I put the idea aside and turn back to my work.
3) I try to utilize my lunch breaks, if possible, to take more notes and/or get a short word count goal in. However, I ALWAYS SET AN ALARM to avoid going over my break time. I'm actually amazed at how many words I'm able to crank out in 45 minutes, knowing the clock is counting down.
Occasionally I'll try out other tactics as well. Lately I've been listening to writing/author promotion podcasts while I work. It gives me that connection to the writing world that I crave, without distracting from the task in front of me. I'm able to do both of these things at the same time without losing my concentration, but if you're the type of person who can only focus on one thing at a time, this tip may not be for you.
Tell me fellow writers, what techniques do you use when it's necessary to concentrate on a task outside of your writing life?
You can certainly see your expertise in the work you write.
ReplyDeleteThe world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe.
Always follow your heart.
Thank you, very much! This post is still one of my favorites.
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