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You are here: Home / Archives for Writing / Focus

Focus

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Writing and Focus in Grading Season

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Jo VanEvery

 In Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]

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A waterlily flower just about to open amongst a reflective pond of waterlily leaves

Meditation as practice & metaphor for focus

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Jo VanEvery

This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]

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A laptop is sat in a raised stand above a desk to raise it to standing height surrounded by a variety of potted houseplants by an open window with light streaming in.

Optimizing Focus: Select the task you most want to work on

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

In Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]

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A woman with red nails and a coral pink top holds her phone in her hands ready to turn it on while sat at a black desk with an analog alarm clock sitting in the background

The impact of time available on your focus

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Jo VanEvery 2 Comments

In Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. This article is updated from one published 21 April 2014 to connect it more clearly to that framework. I use the term “optimize” purposefully. Your goal is […]

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Image of dictionary page with definition of "focus" in focus

Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Optimizing Focus: 3 Elements to Consider Everyone struggles with focus. This is why I prompt participants in A Meeting With Your Writing to think about what they’d like to try that day to optimize their focus. In this rather long post, I set out the fundamental principles that underpin […]

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A lush green meadow of wildflowers and daisies is blurred in the background with a hand holding a magnifying glass up to focus on one flower

Optimizing Focus: Choose the task to suit how you are feeling

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

In Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]

Read More »
A pair of glasses rests on the keyboard of a laptop, focusing the screen which shows a few open windows of code and program settings

Optimizing Focus: Choose the task to suit the context

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

In Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]

Read More »
A cluttered desk space with pc monitor is viewed from above

Focus and the desire for distraction

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Focus and the desire for distraction I’ve written about focus and distraction before. A recent question during A Meeting With Your Writing has helped me clarify an important underlying principle. There are 2 parts to getting distracted: the trigger where you go once distracted These two elements are not […]

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group of people writing at a large table

Accountability vs Community

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Jo VanEvery

I’ve been reading Rowena Murray‘s Writing in Social Spaces, and it has helped me articulate something that underpins a lot of my work. Community is important to your ability to do this work. This got long, if what you really want are suggestions for creating writing community, jump here. When I talk about A Meeting […]

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A person standing and looking at a dark blue wall filled with yellow post-it notes stuck to the wall in an overwhelming cluster. The notes indicate a place on a mindmap which is drawn in black marker underneath.

One thing at a time?

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Jo VanEvery 1 Comment

This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]

Read More »
A row of vintage lightbulbs hanging without lightshades from an industrial building ceiling and glowing a warm yellow colour from the visible filaments. The lightbulbs represent multiple ideas happening at once.

When another project is distracting you from this one

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Jo VanEvery Leave a Comment

This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]

Read More »
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