Each month and each week, the same item has been on my list of things to complete, and it hasn’t been completed: Work on novel.
In fact, to make myself work on it, I set a deadline of September 24th and sealed the deal with the publication.
It didn’t work.
Why?
Distractions. So many distractions.
How do you move past distractions to get the work done? Well, you just have to. There are always going to be distractions. Unannounced guests. Unexpected dog-sitting that you didn’t sign up for. Waiting for a letter that doesn’t seem to be coming.
That last one has me all worked up. It’s my number one problem right now, and it has been since August 1st. I need funds to finish my house, and the letter I’m waiting on holds the key to when I can start calling in contractors.
*sigh*
Despite that distraction, there are other distractions that generally plague us. Our electronic devices being one. In fact, I had a friend ask me the other day what I was doing, and I told them I was losing at multitasking. I was trying to sew a dress and read from my Kindle at the same time. Yes. You heard right. Read and sew.
When I complained about it on social media, someone suggested I get an audiobook. That’s fantastic. I could do that. The problem? I would still find something to distract me. I have ADHD after all. I can start one task and get sidetracked by another, and then I am down the rabbit hole before I know it. Alice had nothing on me.
The only way to solve my issue is that I choose when I accomplish tasks. Writing is a morning task. It is when I have the most focus. Sewing is for midday. Editing is an afternoon and evening task. I have to keep things like that or it all seems to fall apart.
Today, though, I am going to have to work on writing all day if I’m going to catch up.
After all, my novel has to be finished in twenty days!
