No Hocus Pocus to Focus

It’s JJ, hey (that so riles Rey when I do that, he-he).  The Boss is busy, so I volunteered to post today.  There are so many things one can write about—too many—so I had to give some thought to what’s on my mind these days. 

Staying focused (don’t ask why).  There’s no magic to finding your focus; it’s something you do.  I love this quote from Mark Twain, which I believe lends itself nicely to the intent of this post.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” 

Simply stated, yet perhaps not as simply done.  Nevertheless, the only way to make something happen, is to get started: focus, concentrate, encourage and inspire yourself.  Determine what it is you want or need to get done, plan it and do it.  And I’m not referring to writing, but anything you may desire to embrace in your life or hope to take up.

Rey and Linda and I put our heads together and came up with some ideas, hardly new and innovative ones, but definitely recognized and utilized.  These are in no order of importance or requirement. 

This doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.  Have a list and/or schedule.  Rey will attest to this, that having something planned or programed doesn’t work, as she prefers to be spontaneous.  I, on the other hand, will have a to-do list, while Linda will have a thorough agenda/timetable.  A plan of some sort, even if merely a few jotted points—key points or tasks—is worth taking the time to record, to serve as “reminders to be completed”. 

In terms of the recording the task [an all-encompassing word that sounds less cumbersome than “job” or “chore”], consider:

♦   what it is you want to accomplish / see done    ♦    the time factor involved (what is it and how does it need to be approached—over several hours, days) and schedule accordingly.

If you’re about to engage in said task—you’re striving to get that focus, uh, focused—make sure there are no distractions.  Depending on what you’re intending to do, find a quiet place and make sure you don’t have your phone around (it’s way too easy to find excuses to chat or text).  Avoid social media—unless that happens to be your focus, of course.

If you live with others, ask that they kindly respect your need for solitude for an hour, or whatever time you’ve allotted for yourself.

I like a Red Bull when I’m hunkering down to do something, but maybe a latte, coffee, or tea will do it for you.  Caffeine gives [me] that extra little “boost” of energy and, yes, clarity.

Take a break—to stretch your legs, grab a [wholesome] snack, re-focus—but don’t make it too long; otherwise, you may become unfocused.  But five minutes here and there can prove beneficial.

If there are a number of tasks, arrange them in terms of priority and similarity.  Given my own experience(s), I suggest [strongly] you don’t try to do a number at once.  One at a time—with full focus—works best.

There’s no hocus pocus, or magic trick; it’s a bit of logic (planning and approach), a touch of commitment/perseverance (sticking with it), and a little determination (it will get done).

Author: tylerus

I'm primarily a writer of fiction and blog posts, and a sometimes editor and proofreader of books, manuals, and film/television scripts. Fact-checking and researching, organizing and coordinating are skills and joys (I enjoy playing detective and developing structure). My fiction audience: lovers of female-sleuth mysteries. My genres of preference: mysteries (needless to say), women’s fiction, informative and helpful “affirmative” non-fiction. So-o, here I am, staring up a new blog for aspiring and established e-Book writers. The plan: to share the (long) journey of getting to this stage, and share "learnings" and "teachings". There's a lot I hope to accomplish with this blog, but it may be a while before that happens as there's a lot on the ol' plate - taking care of Mom, working full-time, and attempting to get another book in the Triple Threat Investigation Agency series written (never mind blog postings and other writing projects). It's very challenging and it's all good. As I like to say: teeny focused baby steps are just as effective as long forceful strides. It may take a little longer, but we will get there. View all posts by tylerus