5 ways to focus so you can write

For three weeks I’ve been trying to write an article about a business initiative, and I can’t get to it. I open a blank Word document with every intention of starting the article, and then the emails start. Or the phone rings. Or someone stops by.

Everyone experiences this. We are all doing more with less time and fewer resources. But in the “age of distraction” how do you find time to focus on the task of researching a topic and writing about it? Here are a few tactics:

Stay offline (and I mean offline)

If constant interruptions are keeping you from writing, minimize them. Log out of chat, quit Outlook, put your phone on “do not disturb,” and shut your door. I’m not saying to spend your entire workday like this, but try it for an hour and see how much you get done. Don’t worry about any urgent requests you might receive while offline. They can wait an hour.

Set aside ‘writing time’