Distraction

Distraction is something that every writer will have to face at some time or another. Of course, most people whether they are writers or not will experience it as well. But for a writer, distraction has the tendency to put back one's publication date and that's not--oh look! A puppy!

With two young sons (both under the age of 4), I tend to get distracted rather frequently, and very easily. My work is constantly set aside when my sons require my attention, or they want juice, or they want to colour, or watch a movie, or... well, the list could go on.

I also get distracted easily without my sons' help. There are countless ways for one to get distracted; there are household chores, food, tea, TV, and the worst of all... social media. I enjoy it far too much. I am constantly on Facebook, Pinterest, and checking on my Twitter  and Goodreads accounts. It is simply unfair how addictive social media has become, and as I am always on my computer, it is far too easy to click my internet button and browse my pages instead of writing my next chapter.

The question is, as a writer, how do I keep myself focused on what I am writing and not on that tempting "safari" button at the bottom of my screen? Well, it's simple. When I need to focus (when my kids are busy with other projects or they're with their grandparents), I turn off my network. Easy as that. Sure, I find myself still clicking on my browser, but when the screen pops up saying I'm not connected to the network, I  remember that I should be working, so I close it down and get back to writing. It actually works very well with me. I can get right back to what I was writing, and after a short while, I stop clicking on my browser button.

What about you? What distracts you? What do you do to regain your focus?