From sunup to sundown, we’re constantly being pulled in different directions as try to keep pace with the moving pieces of our lives. While our daily routines can be hectic and trying to fit writing into our busy schedules can be difficult, we have some productivity tips that can help.

Here are three productivity tips that can help you squeeze every ounce of efficiency out of your time.

Rise and shine.

You may not want to hear this, but when you’re chasing your dreams, sometimes you have to make some sacrifices for them to come to fruition. Consider waking up early to get in some early-morning writing. Before the craziness of your day begins, relish in the solitude that you have to really focus. Find a spot in your house or at a local coffee shop where you feel most productive and write away. Not only will you be chipping away at your goal, you’ll also be starting your day on a positive, productive note.

Focus.

Before you even get started, make it a point to block out as many distractions as you possibly can. If you find that you revert to your phone after five minutes of work, turn it off and put it away. If you can’t seem to string 10 minutes together without someone walking in and asking something of you, find a place where you can work in solitude, or make it a point to let people know that you aren’t to be bothered for a certain period of time. Sometimes you can’t avoid distractions, but if you are in control of what takes your attention off of your work, do your best to manage interruptions in a productive way.

Get a game plan.

Your time is precious, so make sure to approach your window of opportunity with a game plan to maximize your minutes. Each time you sit down to write, you’ll want to have a laser focus on what matters most in that moment. When you keep things focused, you keep moving forward. When you approach your writing with a scattered brain, you tend to not give the attention certain parts of your book require. So pick something to focus on and keep your attention only on that one thing during your designated writing time. Continue this ritual day-in-and-day-out and you’ll start to see your to-do list dwindle.

Keep these three productivity tips in mind to maximize the window of time that you have to focus on your writing.

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017