10 Secrets to Staying Focused When Writing Content

One of the easiest ways to build passive income streams with no initial investment is to write and publish online content. Sites like eHow, HubPages, and Info Barrel are just a few of the popular places where there is no upfront costs to join. Writing an eBook, publishing an online newsletter, or building a niche blog are also opportunities to make money online that come at a very low cost.

So what do all of these opportunities have in common, besides their low barriers to entry? Each one of them requires the writing, editing, and publishing of online content that will be read by others. You could choose to spend a little money and hire resources to write this content for you. Or you could opt for the cheaper route and handle this task on your own.

One of the hardest parts of creating your own content is staying focused enough to make your time worth it. There can be hundreds and hundreds of distractions that can really throw a writer off track. So how can an author take steps to prevent outside distractions and stay focused? Keep reading to learn about some of the secrets I use to stay focused when writing my online content.

10 Secrets to Staying Focused

Here are 10 different distractions that face me when I am writing content and how I try to cope with them.

1. Avoid Email – Checking your email is one of the absolute worst distractions that people face. Consistently checking back hour after hour for emails to come in is very inefficient and will waste a lot of time. Try to limit yourself to checking email twice per day – once in the morning and once in the evening.
2. Turn of the Television – If you think the television is just some “white noise” that helps you concentrate, chances are it will still be a distraction. Even if you are just listening to the television, you are not concentrating on your task at hand – writing. If you are working out of your home, I suggest finding a room to work in where the television is off.
3. The Twitter Effect – Social networking has become as much of a distraction to people as email. There is a time and place for Twitter and other social networking sites – just try to avoid it when writing.
4. Stop Looking at AdSense – Checking your AdSense earnings can be very addictive to those who choose to make money online. It is okay to check how your earnings are doing as a motivator but there can be a limit. Try to limit yourself to check AdSense and other earnings to once per day – probably in the evenings when you check your email.
5. Don’t Multitask – It amazes me how many people think that multitasking is an efficient way to get tasks done. If you think about it logically, multitasking is actually very inefficient. Trying to jump back and forth between two, three, or even more tasks at one time can lead to mistakes and time wasted. Try to concentrate on the task at hand and don’t leave it until you are satisfied with your results.
6. Work from a Detailed Outline – Create an outline of the content you plan to write about to help stay on track. This is especially important when you are writing content for a larger piece of work such as an eBook. I have found that creating an outline really helps me stay focused when writing a blog post or even an eHow article.
7. Go for a Run – There are times when you may need to just take a break and clear your head. Exercising can really help to get all those distractions out of your head and allow you to refocus on your task.
8. Set Small Attainable Tasks – Before embarking on a big writing project, try creating some SMART Goals that can help guide you through the process. Having some predefined goals can really help you meet milestones and keep on track.
9. Relax – There may be times when things just are not clicking. During times like these, it may help to walk away from writing for a few hours or even days. This can help you relax and “recharge your batteries”. I find that this helps you get your mind off of writing for a while and allows you to easily jump back in at a later time.
10. Visualize Your Results – One important secret that I like to use when writing content is to visualize my final project as well as my earnings. There is no direct science to this, but I believe the power of the mind can really help you meet your goals and stay focused. Try to visualize the final product on your next blog post, eHow article, or eBook that you are writing. This will help you to focus on the steps that need to be taken to get you to your final product.

Make the Most of Your Time

Time is such a huge factor when starting a home business and building income streams. Managing and coping with distractions is one way to put more hours back into your day. These extra hours can make or break your business, which is why it is so important to stay focused.

If you are a writer or are thinking about starting, then try out a few of the secrets I have listed above. As the old saying goes – “Time is Money”, and sense you are probably in this business to make money you need as much time as you can get!

What other distractions do you find to waste your time and push you off track?

Tagged as: multitasking, smart goal setting, SMART Goals