Focus is the way through.

What comes first: the distraction or the fear?

You’re not distracted, you’re afraid. 

Oops! If you’re feeling called out right now, I apologize. #sorrynotsorry

The number one thing I hear from writers -- and I mean at least once a day, every day -- is that they can’t get any writing done because they feel so distracted.

I’ve written before about how to manage distractions, so if you 100% know that’s really what the issue is for you, then I’ve got you covered: click here for a list of six sure ways to manage distractions.

But are you sure that’s what is really going on?

Is it distraction or is it fear?

Have you ever paused to ask yourself WHY you are so easily distracted when you really want to be writing? Could it be possible that you’re actually afraid and that’s why you’re such easy prey for the common distractions we all face…

• Social media apps on our cellphones
• A Netflix...

I believe in the power of coaching. Obviously – as a creativity coach myself. :-)

And that means that I also engage coaches in my own life, for different reasons. I have one for business, one for fitness, and one for writing.

A Recent Coaching Story

This week I was at a group coaching session on Zoom where a new friend of mine was being coached. She’d had someone approach her with a paid opportunity that she was excited about, but it was something that would direct her away from her creative passion.

Full confession: my friend sounded so excited about this new opportunity, so my instinct was to say “Yes! You should try to do it. Find a way to fit it into your life along with your creative work and everything else.” And I said as much, as the first person to speak after she explained the situation.

Meanwhile, another friend in the session (there were just 3 of us, plus the coach) was shaking her head and kinda losing it a little bit in her Zoom box.

When our...

You sit down to write, eager to translate the words and images in your head onto the page. Perhaps it takes a few minutes to settle in, but you’re soon deep into your work-in-progress.

Two hours later you look up, astonished that the world outside your book exists and wondering where the time went.

Have you ever had this happen to you? Perhaps you’ve experienced a taste of it, but in shorter bursts. Or you can only achieve this elusive state intermittently and desperately want more of it.

This is the elusive state of FLOW. It’s a critical component of a creative life and also one of its most rewarding experiences.

When we’re in a state of flow, time ceases to exist – as does anything outside of the immediate artistic challenge in front of us, whether that’s crafting a love scene or finding more active verbs on a final editing pass.

Flow is where we feel that sense of satisfaction in our creative process, and when we’re in flow, we’re...