Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow
Today is Day 95 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.
Did you write yesterday? We are living in an upside-down world. The hustle and bustle of daily commutes, the never-ending parade of constant stress, unreasonable demands, over-hyped experiences, and thrilling activities competing for your time, attention, and energy—evaporated. Self-isolation, social distancing, work from home, eLearning, family time, and dog walking, are the newest must-do exercises. No one would blame you if you are feeling directionless in your suddenly open schedule.
Abrupt changes can induce anxiety, but what if you considered this an opportunity to cultivate deep working habits? Deep work is a concept defined by Cal Newport, associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and self-help author. He defines deep work as “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” The concept involves complete immersion in the task. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call it “flow.”
Newport advocates approaching and completing challenging tasks by eliminating distractions, committing to block scheduling, and adhering to your intentions. Will applying this strategy help you find your voice, open your laptop or a notebook, grab a pen, and record the words and stories that are begging to be told?
Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.
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Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer
My alumni book club highly recommended Cal Newport’s book Deep Work. Great post!
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Have your read it? I love when I find myself so immersed in a project that everything else fades away. Does his suggestions work for you?
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Not yet, but I plan to! I, too, enjoy the feeling of being in the flow
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It is a wonderful feeling.
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So hard to concentrate on anything these days. Writing is tough going lately
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Agreed, my friend. Long time no see. I hope you are well and getting at least a little writing done? 😊❤
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Only AtoZ, nothing else. Hope you’re doing good xxx
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I wasn’t ambitious enough to commit to the AtoZ. Good for you. 👍
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We’ll see how far I get 🙈
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you for the reblog ✨💖✨
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