Daily writing prompt

Which activities make you lose track of time?

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Good morning! Have we had a good night’s sleep? Or at least a good night?

Anyhoo, today’s prompt shouldn’t be much of a faff to answer – “Which activities make you lose track of time”? Well, believe it or not, I often get this when I’m writing, especially when I’m working hard. There is a term for this, and that is “Flow state”. Coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, this is a surprisingly awesome state to be in – it only occurs when you are working very hard up against a challenge just beyond your usual capabilities. You become nigh immune to distraction, unable to stop working on the project until it is through to a satisfactory standard. It feels awesome to pull it off – it makes any piece of work an absolute blast!

Now, you can enter this state naturally by yourself, but it is perhaps easier to do so if you’ve trained your ability to focus and organise your surroundings to reduce early onset distraction – there are many strategies for this. For me, routine helps achieve this. I set to work at the same time every day (7:30 am) so it’s easier to slip into a working mindset – this includes university days. I try to sit myself in a distraction free environment, behind locked doors or at least with headphones on when taking the train. I make sure I’ve got everything I need with me on hand; sometimes this is just my laptop with siteblocker on, othertimes stationary is required. I have a drink nearby so I don’t have to ruin my streak getting on. If it helps, I also tell friends and family to keep out. Why, it sounds like a lot of work just to get a lot of work done, but trust me it’s worth it.

For more information on this strategy, I’d recommend you read Cal Newport’s “Deepwork” book. If you’re ever feeling unmotivated or unsuccessful in this dog cannibal world, it’s good advice to hear.

Alternatively, less pretentious things that make me lose track of time (possibly for reasons of flow) include: Reading, listening to music, Gaming, walking, farm-work and cooking. I really do not have a fine grip on time.

Anyway fellows, whether or not you actually want to comment on this piece today, I bid you success with your little projects and practises! So if you’d excuse me, I’ve got a novel to write.

Work smart!