This is something I am dealing with right now, and I know some of my fellow mama writers can relate. Writing a book is hard enough when you don’t have any distractions. But, how are you supposed to write when you’ve got monkeys, oh, I mean children, climbing the walls around you?
Here are 6 tips to help you overcome distractions and get your book written despite being a busy mom:
#1 As much as you are enjoying the extra sleep, set your alarm for a regular time each morning. Let your children sleep in while you work on your book.
#2 Schedule time each day where you can barricade yourself in your room and write for half an hour. It may be a struggle at first, but if you keep up with it the children will learn the routine. If Pavlov could train animals using conditioned reflex then your children can learn to give you space to work when needed. It’s not easy and it takes some time, but it depends on you!
#3 Give yourself some tough love. Create a daily discipline and make yourself stick to it. Don’t give yourself an excuse to back out or put off your writing time. Remember you can’t pour from an empty cup. Many mothers fall into the trap of giving of themselves to the point of their own detriment. We must remember that doing something for ourselves is necessary. You have to have something in your cup before you can pour out of it. If writing brings you joy, then you must write.
#4 Find yourself an accountability partner. This can be a friend that will keep you in check, it can be a fellow writer or even an author coach. The important thing is to find someone who will keep you on your toes. Don’t find someone who will accept all of your excuses. Find someone who cares enough to see through the B.S. and call you on it in a gentle but firm way. I’m not talking about finding a bully here either. You can take this to opposite extremes.
#5 Set a deadline. While it’s easy to procrastinate, if you set yourself a hard deadline you will find you’ll reach your goals. I happen to find it motivating to set my deadlines publicly, but other people find it so overwhelming that they don’t follow through. Either way, you must find what works for you and set those deadlines!
#6. Remember the reason why you wanted this in the first place. I’ve written many posts and made several videos about the power of finding your purpose. Basically, if you don’t have a strong enough reason for writing your book it will be easier to put it off. In my experience as an author coach, I work on mindset more than mechanics. I find the mindset to be the determining factor in a writer’s success. I have met so many grammar nazis and English majors that have never published a book, much less make six figures. Why? It doesn’t come down to education and ability. It comes down to mindset. Find your why and the way will follow. I think that was a quote but I’m not sure who came up with it first.
I hope these tips will help you finish your book. I know you are capable of becoming a published author. Now get back to writing!!
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