Focus on One Thing at a Time

Ever been so inundated with projects you didn’t know where to start? I encourage you to FOCUS and take one thing at a time.

I recently returned from a wonderful writer’s conference in Wheaton, Illinois. I’ve been to several conferences before but this time, I came home with so many projects and so much excitement to write, I could hardly stand to be around myself. Imagine my poor husband! Actually, I brought home suggestions for freelance work for him, as well, so he was pretty happy. 😉

After I unpacked, did my laundry, and laid out all my materials in my office, a bit of distress struck. Where do I start? I have this and this and this …

Then I remembered what my newspaper-reporter-husband said to me years ago when I did freelance work. I sometimes had multiple assignments that involved writing, interviews, and even setting up photo shoots. And I juggled all this with the needs of three active kids.  I often found myself in a tizzy—until my husband taught me the key: FOCUS on one thing at a time.

It seems simple enough. But when your brain is in panic mode, or you’re too pumped on caffeine, it’s easy to get bogged down with the WHOLE, rather than focus on the ONE thing that needs to get done, right now.

So, after staring at the spread of work I’d laid out in my office, I took a deep breath, prayed for wisdom, and made a list. What were the priorities? What needed doing today? And that’s where I started.

In one short week, I’d accomplished more in my writing than I’d done in a very long time. Rather than allow the anxiety to set in, I prayed for wisdom and focus. And God came through as I did my part.

It takes lots of discipline to be a writer. We are surrounded by so many distractions on every side and we must turn off the interruptions that suck away our mental energy. Unless, of course, a child is bleeding—and I’ve had that happen! I encourage you to guard your thoughts. Control what you can. And pray for FOCUS.

You might be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her latest release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She penned the three-book Deer Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. She freely admits to being a history geek. Look for her upcoming series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. The 4-book series is entitled Dawn of America. You can visit her site at www.elainemariecooper.com