I decided last night that today I would run a little test. Instead of starting off the day finishing my writing tasks and then filling in the rest of the day with my other projects, I flipped it, and did all my other projects first.

Two things I discovered.

1. I was able to get ALL of my other projects done (not including non-fiction writing tasks).
2. It took me until 5pm (starting at 8am) to finish.

This is the exact opposite of what happens when I do my writing first thing in the morning. I finish about the same time with my fiction writing, and have little to no time (or energy) to get all of my other research done. Keep in mind, this is also with a relatively cleared schedule for my day job (no clients to work with the last few days).

So, my conclusion is this. I either have to reduce my other projects, find more time, or remove distractions throughout the day.

One major culprit is television. I do watch tv shows, movies, or cable news all day long. This would be the major distraction I would remove, by only watching tv during my meals and only elsewhere AFTER I have cleared my TO DO LIST.

I certainly don’t want to reduce my writing goals again, or even reduce my research goals. I really think the problem comes from low productivity. I need to treat these tasks “as if” I were at work, with a boss looking over my shoulder. Only after I finish my work for the day, do I get to “go home” and relax by watching tv. Let’s be realistic. If I’m watching the news during my breakfast and lunch, I’ll get the same amount of news as if I had it on all day long.

This is what I will be trying tomorrow and I will post my results.