How to Accomplish Writing with a Short Attention Span

As a writer, one of the biggest problems I sometimes suffer from is having a short attention span. I stare off into space, I scroll through Pinterest, I play solitaire on my computer... It's really not helping my productivity. And if I can't get stuff done, I get frustrated and stomp around my house like a cave troll.

Actual footage of me being ticked off at myself.

So if this is the kind of thing that happens to you on a regular basis, this is the post for you! Let the tips for better productivity begin!

1. Have a plan prepared. 
Knowing what you want to do beforehand is a surefire way to clamp down on unproductivity. Decide what you're going to do the night before or first thing in your day. I always work on my to-do list first thing while I'm watching a couple YouTube videos. Find what method serves you best to make sure you know what you're going to do and how you're going to do it.

2. Make the big stuff small.

Break the day's writing goal into smaller chunks. Don't think, "I need to write 1,000 words today." Think, "I need to write 200 words in the next half hour." Some of us might not need thirty whole minutes to write 200 words, but break it into a chunk you can handle. If you haven't tried this before, give it a shot!

3. Take regular breaks.
If you have a short attention span, it's likely that it'll help to work in chunks broken up by set break times. Try fifteen minutes of work, five minutes of rest. Experiment until you find what serves you best. But breaks are important to keep your productivity high and the quality consistent.

4. Prioritize.
Do the most important thing first, and after that, the second most important thing, and so on. This way, if you burn out, you'll have done the most important things first, and all that's left is stuff that could have been done tomorrow anyway. This is essential when you're first starting out, but I would recommend you keep it going even as you get more comfortable, 'cuz it's a good plan!

5. Remove visual distractions.
It's a proven fact that fewer visual distractions makes you more productive and focused. Tidy your computer desktop, organize the physical top of your desk, open a new tab next to the YouTube playlist you're listening to and click to it so you aren't distracted by the video that goes with the music. Definitely put your phone somewhere you can't reach. There are even programs that lock off your access to the rest of the computer for a set amount of time while you write. If nothing else keeps you from scrolling Instagram, that will.

6. Do what works for you!
The whole point of this is to make you happy with your productivity. You're not trying to impress anyone or do it the way someone else wants you to. You don't even have to do all the things I mentioned here if one of them is failing to make you more productive. Keep experimenting with all of them until they work to their fullest potential. You've got this! I believe in you!

Do you have a short attention span? What do you do to focus? Let me know down in the comments!

My Twitter
My Instagram