One of  the main issues I’ve been running into of late has been a lack of focus. Not just with the writing, although that’s probably where I feel it the most keenly.

Part of the problem, is time.

I have a day job which, when you factor in traveling time etc, takes up a good 11 hours out of the day. Now assuming that I’m getting the recommended 8 hours sleep, (which is rare, normally it’s more like 6-6 1/2, another thing I probably should be working on) that leaves 5 hours. Discounting the time taken for my morning exercises (another area where focus is a cause for concern), meals and other miscellaneous daily things that only leaves me a few hours in which to get some words down.

Years ago, that would have been enough. But then, years ago, I was also content to spend hours on my computer and have limited interaction with the rest of the world. Now, I have a wife, who I love deeply, and I don’t want to give up those few hours where we do have time together. While I stand by my previous assertion that writing makes me happy, so does spending time with my wife and I don’t see why I should short-change us, just to benefit me.

Still, having said that, I do still manage to steal a couple of hours. What is causing the problem is I have a brain like a pinball machine. Now usually when I’ve said that in the past it’s been my way of describing how I can make the most random connections to things I’ve seen or read elsewhere and how those memories can be kindled very mundane things.

Often this can be quite entertaining for me. However, right now it often means I can be trying to write and then I’ll start thinking about one tangent, which will lead to another, then another and another and before you know it, its past time I should be in bed and I’ve only done a fraction of what I wanted to get done.

It’s probably my own fault for having too many distractions on hand. Between my phone, books, Netflix, Hulu and the rabbit-hole that is the internet, I make it far too easy to distract myself.

What I need to do, is improve my focus so that when I have time to write, I’m actually writing (same goes for the exercising). And at the same time, not taking time away from the other things I want to do. Or from the people I want to share it with.

Ultimately, I know all of this is pretty meaningless in the greater scheme of things and I hope it hasn’t come across to whiny, especially as there are many people much worse off than I am. But on the other hand, this is still me putting words out, even if it is more writing about writing, rather than writing itself.