Some of the things that can help you focus take too long to do right now. 

Sure, the perfect writing space might be a wonderful way to switch off from outside distractions and truly concentrate ... but when you've only got 30 minutes or an hour to write, you don't want to spend that whole time getting things organized and set up just right.

Here are seven things you can try almost instantly. Each of these will take 2 minutes or less (and most of them take just seconds) ... but they can save you a massive amount of time spent on distractions.

#1: Meditate to Clear Your Mind (2 Minutes)

I'm not great at sitting and doing nothing ... but even I can manage to sit for 2 minutes! If you're coming to your writing from a hectic day, with your mind swirling, then spending just 2 minutes breathing in and out and letting yourself think about nothing can really help clear your mind. (If you think 2 minutes isn't even worth doing, I'd challenge you to give it a try at least once, and see if it helps.)

#2: Commit to a Specific Goal (1 Minute)

What do you want to accomplish during your writing session? However short a time you have, you can pick a small, specific goal to accomplish, like:

• Write 200 words
• Edit 2 paragraphs
• Outline a blog post
• Flesh out 2 side characters
• Write the next section of an article

It only takes a minute to pick a goal (and write it down) ... but having that goal in mind can really keep you focused.

#3: Silence Your Phone (10 Seconds)

Silencing your phone takes almost no time at all ... but getting rid of those dings and pings can make a massive difference to your focus. 

If you really do need to have your phone's sound on in case of important calls, you can normally use "Do Not Disturb" mode but allow calls from certain numbers (like your child, spouse, boss, etc).

#4: Set a Timer (10 seconds)

I am a huge fan of timers when writing ... or focusing on pretty much any task. I have a little timer cube that sits on my desk when I'm working, so I can set a timer very quickly (and without using the internet or my phone!) I find it's a huge help in staying focused.

#5: Turn Off the Internet (10–30 seconds)

Turning off your wifi could make a massive difference to your focus. It's usually as easy as pressing a key on your keyboard or tapping a couple of options on the screen.

If you think you need to be online to use your writing software of choice, check if it has an Offline mode (Google Docs does, for instance).

#6: Put On Music That Helps You Focus (10–30 seconds)

Listening to music can be a brilliant audio cue that it's time to focus. Use whatever you like here! Some writers love movie soundtracks, others like ambient noise, and some will pick a favourite album to listen to on repeat.

#7: Use Your Writing Software in Focus Mode (10 seconds)

Do you find yourself getting distracted by toolbars and tabs when you're writing? Many types of writing software have a Focus Mode. 

With Google Docs, for instance, you can go to View-->Full Screen to make Google Docs itself full screen, then hit F11 on your keyboard to make your browser window full screen too. That way, all you can see is what you're writing: there'll be no other tabs and no toolbar to distract you.

You don't have to do all these things every time you write. But spending just a minute or two putting a couple of them into place at the start of your writing session could make a massive difference to how well you focus.

Happy writing,

Ali

P.S. Here's last week's Aliventures blog post, in case you missed it:

Internal Conflict: Six Types of Internal Conflict (With Examples)