Point of No Distraction

I read an article this weekend about scattered brain syndrome and the difficulty of multi-tasking. In essence, it states that multi-tasking is a myth and that the brain was not built to multi-task. In actuality it states we are fully switching back and forth between tasks.

I found this very interesting as I could identify with much of what the article described. Each day I find myself bombarded with distractions. So much so that sometimes I find myself even searching out distractions because I’ve somehow become accustomed to them. It is not as if I am more productive when dealing with multiple tasks, it’s just that my brain somehow doesn’t as easily adjust to the silence or time without distraction.

As I read this article and came to these realizations, I couldn’t help think back to when I first started writing—I mean truly as a writer with the intentions of publishing one day. Friday nights were my favorite. A bit of Beethoven, some Guinness and some popcorn—weird combination but oh so good to relax. I used to sit on my bed next to a window, watching the moon move across the sky. There was something calming about it all that seemed to allow me complete immersion in what I was writing, whatever scene I was trying to see through. These days as I find myself pulled in so many directions, I think back to those nights and use the reminder to ground me in what it is like to fully concentrate and create something I enjoy.

As you go through the craziness of the holidays and New Year, take some time for yourselves, meditate, concentrate and let yourselves do without distraction.

Happy writing this week and may you continue enjoying this holiday season!

 

Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Toni Kelly