by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan
Last night, my husband and I walked our dog at the park near our house. As we strode down the path that snaked along the river, our attention was captured by a Red-breasted Merganser duck and her hatch of twenty ducklings. They swam in the middle of the water, which was lower than usual, and dove to spear minnows with their long, thin bills.
Two men fished along the riverbank, a group of people splashed at the water’s edge, and a trio of kayakers paddled past the family of ducks.
Despite the activity all around them, the ducklings stayed focused on their task—catching minnows.
As we continued our walk, I thought about the struggle I’ve been having lately with keeping my attention on my current work-in-progress, which is due to my editor by the end of August.
2020 has not been the best year for focus. Between the global pandemic, injustice, and political bashing, I have to admit—I’m tired. My brain is struggling with Facebook fatigue. I’ve found myself pulling more and more away from social media because I. Can. Take. Only. So. Much.
And I need to revert my focus back to my writing.
Here’s the thing about life—there’s always going to be something that tries to steer our attention away from where it needs to be. So how do we regain our focus?
- Pick one thing. Be like the ducklings—focus on the minnows. They weren’t distracted by the kayaks gliding through the water, the kids splashing and screaming, or the men’s fishing lines drifting in the current. Whatever you’re writing, focus on what you need to do today. Doesn’t matter if it’s a blog post, a scene, or a newsletter. Focus on one thing you need to write and turn off your Wi-Fi to keep your fingers on your keyboard.
- Take a break. As the duck family paddled downstream, some of the ducks dove for a bit, then they took a break while their brothers and sisters took their turns. If social media is stressing you, take a step back. Limit your exposure to posts, news stories, and unkind words. Step away from your devices and be present with those you love.
- Find a partner. The other day, I needed to get words on the page, so I texted my craft partner and told her I was writing for an hour. I set the timer on my phone, and at the end of the hour, I texted her the number of words I had written. Sure, the rough draft was not great writing, but the words are now there and can be edited once I finish the rough draft.
- Just keep swimming. Yes, I know that’s Dory’s phrase, but it works for ducks…and writers. Writers do a lot of juggling—family responsibilities, other jobs, church and social commitments—so it takes a balancing act to do all of the juggling. Allow others to help when necessary and discern what your priorities are for each day.
Staying focused can be challenging, but your dream is too important to allow distractions to keep you from achieving it. So, what’s keeping you from catching your minnows? And what steps will you take to make your dream of writing to become a reality?
Just-for-now could become forever…
They agreed to help each other out.
No one mentioned falling in love.
Back home after losing her job, Isabella Bradley plans to stay only long enough to save her father’s diner, but she can’t do it alone. Her childhood friend Tucker Holland has the perfect solution—he will renovate the diner if she’ll be a nanny for his twins. But as Isabella and Tucker reconnect, their arrangement begins to feel a lot less temporary…
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her latest book, A Love Redeemed, releases in September 2020. She is the Operations Manager for Novel.Academy, powered by My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for over thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and being creative with her friends. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.