I recently flew from San Francisco to New York. In the course of those five hours, I wrote three blog posts and two chapters (10,000 words) of the sequel of Chasing Grace: A Novel of Odd Redemption.
What happened? I didn’t have my regular computer with the games and the internet connection to Facebook and a host of interesting sites. I didn’t have my phone, or my kitties, or the breakfast dishes, or any of my other normal distractions.
These things are fun, and part of the fabric of my life. I don’t want to give them up. It’s just interesting to notice how much I got done when they weren’t around.
THE PLANE SEAT AT MY DESK
This experience showed me how focused and productive I can be when I eliminate distractions. I don’t have to do it all day, every day, but it could be very useful. If I were to take three mornings a week, and just pretend I were on a plane from San Francisco to New York, I could get enough done that I might also include in that week:
- A walk in the redwoods
- Lunch on the Square in Sonoma
- A hike in Jack London State Park in the Valley of the Moon
CHOSING MY HABITS
The only reason I don’t work this way is habit. I could easily mock up the plane in my mind, create a separate temporary play or napping space (with litter box) for the kitties in the back of the house, and ignore the dishes and the computer games. But I rarely do.
If I don’t stop to think about my habits—work and otherwise—I just go through life on automatic. This week, I’m going to spend three mornings on a jet plane and see how much I can get done.
I’ll let you know how it goes.