Distractions

Do you remember the dog Doug, from the Pixar movie Up? Remember when he would be in the middle of a sentence squirrel! That happens a lot when we write. We are about to finish a chapter, verse,  or line, when BAM! Our squirrel comes along. WHAT did she just post on Instagram? That episode's tonight!?! Pinterest...Pinterest...Pinterest... They're endless.

My common squirrel is my mother, or more specifically, the chores my mother gives me. Dishwasher, counters, vacuum, sweep, cat food, litter box, dog food, animal's water, etc. That and the new puppies that just entered my house.

In case you wanted to see the cuteness overload :)

Anyway, distractions are inevitable. It's all in the way you handle them. Whenever I hear the word distraction, I often think of the word procrastination.

pro·cras·ti·na·tion

prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən,prō-/

noun

1. the action of delaying or postponing something.

   
   

   (Thought I'd save you a trip to the dictionary. Thanks Google!)

   
   

   I have an acronym for procrastination; PTR or Procrastination Takes Rest

   
   

   Prioritize: Not everything NEEDS to be done, what do you absolutely have to complete?

   Time: Time yourself, give yourself 5 minutes to surf Pinterest, in return for 20 minutes of writing

   Relax: Relax! You're only human (remember the song?), give yourself a break if you can't get everything done!

   
   

   Placing yourself in an environment where distractions are limited can also help. In my case, with chores, I have to set said time for chores so that I have enough time to write.

   
   

   What are your squirrels? How do you deal with them?