- Writing with Ozzy Kain
- Posts
- Infinite Distractions
Infinite Distractions
I am deeply talented at finding things to do that are Not Writing
SECRET PROJECT
So,I kicked off a new project.
I’m keeping the details to myself for now, but it’s inevitably going to impact on the amount of time I have for writing.
Still, all going well it moves me a few steps closer to the end-goal—having more time to write.
Of course,I’m keeping up with client work, and I’m still actively posting on the blogs. I’m also not giving up on writing entirely—no matter what else I’m doing, the ideas won’t stop coming.
While I’m not ready to give out details yet, I can say this: The project is writing adjacent, will serve writers of a certain inclination, and is designed to help, both with motivation and output—the two really do go hand-in-hand.
A little bit of dopamine never hurts, right? Part of the intent is to give writers some assistance with generating that too.
Fifty Word Story
She was a vision of loveliness. The sensuous elegance of her curves made me run my hands over them, caressing their sunlit warmth. I could barely wait to enter her but knew anticipation would make for greater pleasure. I delayed the moment until…
...deep breath...
...ahhh, that new car smell!
This Week’s Exercise
Try Time-boxing.
It’s a simple enough process. Minimise distractions. Set a timer. Commit to Just Writing for that time.
Set another timer, a shorter one this time. Take a break, walk around, drink some water.
Another timer—another work session.
I like to work in hour blocks:
25 minutes of focussed work
5 minutes of just getting up and moving
20 minutes of focussed work
10 minutes to move—maybe make a coffee, or get some water. Maybe do a quick little workout, to get the blood flowing (it’s good for the brain)
The key for me, is commitment. If it’s not about the job-at-hand, it’s not visible.
This is what gives me the best output. Breaking that 45 minutes down into two blocks, moving around a little in the 5 minutes in between, I get two solid blocks of work done.
If I use larger blocks, I tend to faff around. If I sit for an hour, I’ll get distracted, go on Discord or Reddit. It triggers a “I have plenty of time” feeling, and I struggle to stay focussed for that long. 20 or 25 minutes? That, I can do.
Current Works in Progress
|
|
Metrics That Matter
Writers love to count.
Word counts. Writing streaks. Minutes in the chair. Hours spent “researching” (an overly generous term, sometimes).
And don’t get me wrong—metrics can be useful. But some of them do more harm than good.
Take one of the most common: Words per day.
The Trouble with “Words Per Day”
On paper, it’s simple.
You write 1,000 words today. Great. You feel good. You’re a “real writer.”
But what about tomorrow?
If you only write 200, do you feel like you failed?
If you write nothing, is the whole day a loss?
This is where the metric backfires. It encourages an all-or-nothing mindset. You either hit the target or you didn’t. You’re either productive or you’re not.
The irony? Focusing on word count makes many writers write less.
It creates a false growth mindset—”I must do more, More, MORE.”
Worst case, you prioritise quantity over quality.
Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash
The Shift: “Days of Words”
Try this instead:
Track how many days you wrote. Not how much.
That’s it.
If you wrote 100 words today? That counts.
If you opened the doc, moved a paragraph around, and made a note in the margin? That counts.
Because the truth is, momentum matters more than output.
Ten mediocre writing days will get you further than one “perfect” session followed by a week of self-loathing.
You’re Building a Pattern, Not a Performance
Creative work thrives on rhythm.
Not hustle. Not sprints. Not guilt.
Consistency beats intensity.
The goal is to become the kind of person who shows up—even for ten minutes—more often than not. Because that’s what builds trust with your future self. That’s how books get written.
What does showing up look like?
Document open.
Everything else closed (or at least minimised).
Yes, that includes Reddit and Discord.
Hands on keyboard, words appearing on your screen.
That’s showing up.
How I Track It
I keep it simple:
Wrote today? Yes or no.
I don’t care if it felt “good”.
If I showed up, it counts.
What I’m tracking is identity. Not productivity.
Over time? The words accumulate anyway. Funny how that works.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I track word count as well. It does matter. I compare yesterday to today; I hope for tomorrow to be better.
The spreadsheet I use also tracks a rolling 7 day average word count and a rolling 30 day average word count.
The more days I show up? The higher those averages are.
Showing up matters more.
Call to Action
Try this:
For the next two weeks, forget your word count. OK, I know you can’t do that—but at least try to deprioritise it a bit.
Focus on tracking your “Days of Words.” Look for streaks of days where you showed up consistently.
Then, look at your overall word count changes after those streaks.
See what I mean?
You might also like…
Outro
That’s another week done.
The project has only been truly under way for a couple of days, but I’m really happy with progress so far.
I came away from my week of house- and dog-sitting feeling really refreshed and rejuvenated. A well worthwhile semi-break.
Quality doggo time was also a welcome bonus.
Needy but friendly doggo
Here’s to a productive week ahead.
I’ll be in your inbox again at the end of it.
Catch you then.
-Ozzy