Can We Talk About Distractions? And a Little Ranting




Don't we all dream of a month in a little cabin away from it all in the woods or by the sea where we can sit and write all day, taking short breaks only to walk along the shore or enjoy the homemade soup that our unseen care-taker brings to the door just when we are ready for it? 

That's how I could do NaNoWriMo. Instead, I am in a too-small house with beloved, but needy, pets (no comma) and children who demand my time. I have a cell phone, a television, and a reliable connection to the time-wasting black hole that is the holy internet. 

What could go wrong? 

We all face different types of distractions. Mine fall into 4 basic categories. 

1. Frustrating Surprises

I hate surprise distractions. It is completely unnerving to me to be all set to work and then have something sprung upon m me that I cannot come up with a plan to make go away. 

Example: My children have the task of keeping our little box clean. I noticed that one of the cats decided to ignore the litter box last night. I figured the kids weren't keeping it clean, so I took a look. Holy crap - literally crap but not literally holy. The box was THICK with soaked little that had to be chiseled away from the bottom. Argh and ugh! They have been taught a million billion times how to clean the ***** litter box. 

So I shoveled it all out, grumbling to myself and trying to decide where I was going to keep the pile of electronics I was planning to confiscate. I got it all cleaned out - empty. I reached for the box to refill it, and guess what? It was empty. 

I angrily texted my husband to let him know that the children are toast. 

So I had to GO OUT AGAIN this morning (if I'd known, I could have done it while I was taking the kids to school) and buy cat litter. I live in a rural area many miles from the nearest discount store, so I also had to suck it up and buy the expensive cat food from the little pet boutique in the town nearest to ours. 

ARGH. Lazily typing in all caps is the only way I can accurately describe this particular distraction. 

2, Self-Created Distractions

My children are not the only causes of distraction in my life. The other cause is my husband. No really, I am my own worst enemy, as the cliche goes. 

I could get an early start writing this morning, but I have to get the this done and the that done. I could spend some time with my NaNoWriMo masterpiece, but I really should write some articles that will bring in actual income. 

And look at this very interesting article that just popped up in my news feed... I'll just take a few minutes to read that.

And maybe I only have an hour of quiet until the kids come home from school (my kids, thankfully (I am thankful, them not so much), still have school)... so I could write for an hour or I could read this book that is calling my name. 

3. Mental Health Distractions

I am sometimes terribly unable to overcome my own feelings and just get to work. I find that word tap sometimes just turns off when I am feeling upset about something personal or something going on in the world has bothered me. 

I've had some success with different techniques for pulling myself out of the fog, but sometimes it's just too tempting to give in and crawl under the covers. 

4. Guilty Pleasure Distractions

Whether I'm in the mood for ooey-gooey Hallmark or the truly dismal acting and writing of LMN, my television always has something mind-numbing to drag me into. 

Was this all just an excuse to spill my cat litter story? Maybe. Was it just another distraction? Probably. 


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