Grace for the Writer’s Journey: Ditching Distractions

Dear Writers, I hope you had a wonderful week and considered how to deepen your conversation with the Lord! This week, we’re exploring another critical but often overlooked aspect of partnering with God’s grace. (One immensely helped by a deeper prayer life!) And that’s the ability to ditch distractions.

You see, writer, we all have many demands on our lives. While these pulls often feel urgent, many of them have little to do with our God-given work and relationships. Learning to distinguish between the necessary and the noisy—the “good” versus what’s of God—is a critical step forward in our writing journey. 

But before we dive in, let’s look at some others whose ability to fiercely focus catalyzed their life’s work…

Ditching Distraction in History

Marie Curie is a wonderful example of a woman who was able to tune out life’s distractions. As a schoolgirl, Marie was often so engrossed in her work she forgot time and space. One day her, brother and sisters constructed a whole house of chairs around her while she studied unaware. This fierce focus equipped Marie to earn a college degree in science at a time when most women couldn’t attend universities. 

That same focus launched the groundbreaking scientific discoveries she and her husband made about radioactivity. Marie went on to win two Nobel Peace prizes and save many lives during World War I with her mobile x-ray units.

You see, writer, distractions drain our focus and energy. When we recognize and avoid them, we can bring our best to our God-given work. 

Ditching Distraction in the Bible

John the Baptist is another wonderful example of a man who maintained fierce focus. Dedicated to God from birth, John lived in the desert until the time of his ministry. When the time was right, John move to the edge of the wilderness by the Jordan. 

Day after day, he preached in that desolate place. And day after day, crowds flocked to hear his message. What drew the crowds? Jesus Himself said it wasn’t John’s wealth or finesse. It was his focus. His unwavering dedication to the message God had given him.

Now, we aren’t all called to retreat to a desert in order to accomplish our God-given work. However, gaining the clarity and commitment to our God-given message that John had imparts a strength that can carry that message farther than we ever dreamed.

Ditching Distractions in Life

I ditched distractions after experiencing a life of simplicity teaching news writing in Uganda. As I returned to the U.S., I was determined to find a way to contextualize the focus I’d experienced in Uganda into my American lifestyle. Quickly, I began identifying personal distractions—books, movies, clothes, etc.—and taking strategic steps to remove them. 

My bookshelves were moved into the garage. The movies were taken from the glass entertainment center and put in a DVD book. My wardrobe was narrowed to a specific style and color palette that made decision-making a breeze. 

I believe it’s no mistake that God set me on a journey of simplification shortly before calling me to write my books. Because here’s the thing…

Ditching Distractions in Your Life

Ditching distractions is about learning to recognize what is most important and then to create an environment for success for those goals. Let me prove it to you.

• • Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2
  • Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14
  • A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:3-5
  • Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:18-19

You see, writer, ditching distractions is about creating room for the greater work of God in our lives. As we make space for His priorities, our lives actively align with His purposes for us. When we do that, powerful things begin to happen.

This is why the enemy works so hard to distract us, today, writer. Our adversary knows a distracted believer will never be a threat to him. However, as we fiercely focus on God and His work for us, our lives begin to shake the gates of darkness. And we become the “voice of one calling” that God always intended for us to be.

Where to Start with Ditching Distractions

So are you ready to focus on your God-given goals, writer? Here are some ideas to get you started…

1. 1. Know Your Goals. Prayerfully assess your life and priorities. Ask God to reveal what works and relationships He has for you in this season. Then ask Him to reveal what pulls you away for those priorities. When we don’t know what our God-given goals are, we jump from emergency to emergency instead of purposefully planning our days. Identifying and writing down your goals is a critical first step toward living with fierce focus.
   2. Assess Your Schedule. Once you know your goals, the next step is to prioritize them. Prayerfully assess your daily and weekly schedule. You can do this by keeping a notebook or note taking app handy to make note of when you start and end every activity in your day. This will give you an accurate picture of where your time is really going. Because here’s the deal: You can’t improve what you can’t track.
   3. Prioritize Your Goals. Once you’ve assessed your current schedule and habits, you can begin identifying time-wasters and prioritizing your goals. For instance, if you spend two hours a day on social media, consider repurposing one of those hours to pursue your goals! If possible, schedule your goals for times when your energy and mental clarity are highest. 
   4. Set Up for Success. One of the best ways to develop fierce focus is set yourself up for success by physically removing distractions from your environment. Consider setting your phone on Do Not Disturb while you work. Remove physical clutter. Prepare tools you’ll need ready and the night before. (ie – Charge your laptop. Set out your favorite notebook. Etc.) Because here’s the thing…

No one achieves their God-dreams by accident. Throughout the Bible and history, we see example after of example of mighty men and women who intentionally pursued their goals. This isn’t selfish. This is part of learning to steward the words and dreams God has given. Because here’s the thing…

Fixing our gaze on our God dreams is one way of setting our mind  on things above. As we do, we step out of the temporal and begin to create things that will outlast us. Works that will ripple outward in ways we could never conceive. Because they came from the heart of God.

Just like Marie Curie’s work ushered in a new epoch of science and medicine. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the One who transformed, not just Israel, but the world. Just as my simplification made space not only to write my novels but to help others write theirs, too.

So I encourage you today, writer, if you’ve struggled to focus, take time to prayerfully identify and remove the distractions from your life. Because at heart, learning to focus is about learning to release our lesser loves to take hold of greater ones. As you are set free to pursue the call of God your life, that freedom will begin to invade the lives of your readers too.

#distraction #focus #freedom #goals #EveryWriterWriting