There are approximately a million and one things to distract freelancers. From the internet to television, appointments to shopping, and friends to family, we have every excuse in the world not to write.
Of course, as freelance writers, we try every trick in the book to boost our productivity and make the most of our time. Reading personal development blogs, tracking our time, and making extensive schedules are all common ways to combat the time sink.
If you’re like me, however, you’ll find that many of these excellent tips don’t always work. You will have days where, despite your best intentions, you just don’t get much writing done.
What happened? Well, in my life, I have two beautiful little girls under age four. While I love them to pieces, they demand a high amount of my time and attention. There are days when I write articles 30 seconds at a time. Other days, I just don’t get any writing done at all.
Emergencies will come up. Your friend will call, stranded 30 minutes away from your house. You will wake up with the worst flu you’ve had since grade school. Your children will decide that a tea party is the best use of your time.
How do you write when you are torn away from your desk at every opportunity? Here are some coping strategies that I use, with varying amounts of success.
- Double your deadlines. If you know you can have an article done in two days, quote four. However, still aim to have it written in two. This will provide you with buffer room, should the unexpected arise.
- Ditch the minute-by-minute schedules. You cannot wake at 6:00 A.M. and expect to be writing by 6:07 A. M., especially when you have a family. I personally schedule hour by hour. During the odd hours of the day, I am open to distractions, and don’t fight when the kids want to play. During the even hours, I try harder to focus on my writing.
- Utilize peaceful times. In my house, the kids are usually asleep after 8:00 P.M. I also tend to get less phone calls after that time. While fighting off the urge to play video games, I use the time before bed to get caught up on what writing didn’t get done throughout the day.
- Use the right tools. I find that if I’m using the wrong applications, they become more of a hinderance than a help. My criteria are that they must be simple to use, intuitive for me to use them regularly, and visually appealing. I won’t recommend particular programs, as what works for me will undoubtedly not be the best for you. Experiment to find the best tools to optimize your writing.
- Close excess tabs! I have a bad habit of checking my email, Twitter, and statistics throughout the day. Five seconds of checking up may not seem like much, but it adds up to a day without writing. Trust me, it has happened to me. Once your inbox is empty, close the tab.
- Commit to your writing. If you want to be a freelance writer, with all your heart and soul, you must commit to it every single day. When you wake up, you need to be devoted to doing the best work you possibly can. Otherwise, your writing will forever be a hobby, not a career.
Some days, even the best laid plans are put to rest. Most days, you can still work through the inevitable distractions. What tips do you use to deal with the hardest freelance writing days of your life?
