This month Do What You Love is on a mission to make time; time to do things which refresh and energise us, time to stretch our minds and our bodies, and time to do things that make us laugh or think. So, who better to help us make simple changes and better manage our time than one of the UK’s leading experts in wellbeing and productivity in the digital age… Frances Booth.
Frances is an award-winning writer and she also helps businesses and individuals manage distractions, achieve balance, stop procrastinating, and deal with digital tension.
1. How are you leading a life ‘doing what you love’?
I’m really lucky that I get to write and work with words a lot! I absolutely love writing. In the past 10 years or so, I’ve worked as an author, as a journalist and as a blogger. I’ve also been an editor, a copywriter and trained other people in writing. My favourite piece of work – without doubt – has been writing The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World. I loved writing it! The book was published last year with Pearson and has now been widely translated.
In the other side of my work, I get to do projects around the topics of The Distraction Trap, helping people get productive and stay balanced in a world of constant demands from smartphones, social media and emails. I get to do consultancy, and I really enjoy it when there are interesting questions and problems to solve. It makes me think, and gives me chance to keep researching and working in my specialist field. I also comment a lot in the media about digital detox and digital life. That’s an exciting side of my work. I suddenly find myself talking to a journalist from somewhere like Italian Vanity Fair, which is quite surreal. That’s a fast-paced side of things, and it can be high pressure. But it’s a buzz.
Vanity Fair, Italy, Spegni tutto, sarai felice, 22nd January 2014 issue (Switch off, and you’ll be happy) whichfeatures the Italian version of Frances’ book, Felicemente #sconnessi which translates as Happily #disconnected
TuStyle, E staccati da quello Smartphone! 28th January 2014
2. How do you find time to do it all? What’s your secret to ‘making time’?
Yes, I do lots of things! Mostly though, they are all things I want to be doing. That means I’m more motivated to get on with them. I’m really aware of how I spend my time. I tend to work in productive bursts. I get a huge amount done like this. I’ve also got an advantage as I know how to deal with distractions!
Whatever I’m doing, I focus my 100% attention on it. So no email or social media running in the background, which means I’m much more productive. I also leave plenty of space for thinking. Lots of my ideas come to me at random points – not when I’m sat at my desk.
For me, productivity and balance go together, and balance is really important. If you relax and recharge you’re more productive when you get back to work. So I spend plenty of time doing the things outside of work that I enjoy. That’s motivation for being productive too.
3. What’s your background? What did you do before this?
I’m a trained journalist, and before this, I worked as a journalist for eight years for The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. I really enjoy that side of writing and editing too, and still work occasionally at The Guardian. I’ve also worked in the past as a ski rep! I love being in the mountains so this was a great way to do that for a couple of winters.
4. What inspired you to write The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World?
I got so exasperated looking around at everyone staring down at their phones. I just thought ‘something’s not right here’ and started researching it and talking to people about it. Everyone I spoke to had a story to tell me and I realised digital distraction was a really big issue showing up in everyone’s lives. This was back in 2012. Plenty of research was starting to be done, and I knew I’d spotted a trend. I then got a book deal and got on with writing the book.
5. Talk us through the process of writing a book… where do you start?
Start with an idea you are really passionate about. You will be thinking about, writing about, and talking about this issue for a long, long time. Do you care that much about the idea? Once you have the idea, start writing. You have a choice whether to go the traditional publishing route (if so, you probably need an agent and definitely need a publisher), or the independent publishing route (for that, you don’t need an agent or a publisher). If you’re going the traditional route with fiction, you’ll need to write a substantial amount of the book first. For non-fiction, you can approach publishers with a well-developed idea. Whatever route you’re taking, the next step is to write the book!
6. What advice would you give budding writers and authors?
I love encouraging other writers, and people often ask me for advice. Passing on an enthusiasm for words is really important to me. So much so, that I think this might be the topic of my next book… watch this space! For now, here are a couple of tips:
The first thing is to write. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait for that sabbatical, or retirement, or a year off. Huge swathes of time are not always even helpful. Instead, look for one or two hours of writing time you can squeeze in to an ordinary week day evening. Or change your plans and write on a Sunday afternoon. Or take a week’s holiday and devote it to writing. Once you get going and get passionate about your writing or your book, you’ll find bits of time for it.
My next tip is to understand that writing is hugely psychological. We can fall into the trap of thinking writing is all about technique, or about rules (like spelling or grammar), or about being or not being in the industry. We also get really hung up on the idea of not having enough time. These things can all be used as reasons or excuses for not writing. But it’s not really about any of these things. Instead, it’s about things like being brave, being vulnerable, saying what you really mean, being sure, being true, and saying what needs to be said. There is a lot of work you have to go through as a writer, and you need to find ways to do this consciously and repeatedly. There are major issues here that can stop writers or aspiring writers in their tracks for years, so don’t be surprised if you feel scared of writing or feel resistance.
For example, the blank page can be really scary. So don’t start at the start (we tend to agonise over a first line). Just start anywhere. And form habits as you sit down for each writing session. For example, always wear the same jumper or always make the same kind of tea so that getting started becomes automatic and you overcome some resistance.
I’m looking forward to sharing much more advice on this, and am already doing one-to-one sessions for anyone who wants individual advice.
7. What lessons have you learnt along the way?
Never give up. A book takes a lot of doing. You’ll need to be really resilient and probably face rejections. If you love writing, keep going and you’ll get there eventually. The Distraction Trap wasn’t my first idea for a book. I’d been writing for years and had developed other books that didn’t happen. By doing this, I improved my writing.
In my opinion, the best part of writing a book is the writing. Everything that comes after that isn’t as good as the part where you’re actually sitting writing. So enjoy that part!!!
I’ve also learnt a lot about being ‘on the other side’ of the media, commenting as an expert. This has meant pushing myself out of my comfort zone. For example, I really like radio interviews now, but I didn’t used to when I started! To other authors, I’d say give the media side of things a go.
8. What five tips can you give to help us all focus in the digital world?
I’ve developed a nine-step process that you can work through in The Distraction Trap. Here are a few quick tips for now:
1. Identify your worst distraction. Is it email? Social media? Your smartphone? The Internet? Start there, dealing with that distraction first.
2. When do you waste time? What time of day is it? What kind of mood do you tend to be in? Is it when you’re tired, bored, scared of the task ahead?
3. Notice when you focus easily. For example, if you love cooking and are really focused while you’re doing that, notice what this feels like. Then try and apply this level of focus to other tasks.
4. Who is distracting you? How? Other people can be a major source of digital distraction. Try checking your email (where you’re faced with other people’s demands) an hour later than usual, and get on with an important task instead.
5. Can you go to the corner shop without your phone? We’ve become so attached to our smartphones we tend to take them everywhere. See what it feels like when you press the off button.
9. What’s next for you? What does the future hold?
The Distraction Trap has just come out in Korean, which is really exciting (it also came out in French and Italian earlier this year). Next, it’s coming out in Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. I love it when each new book arrives, so I’m looking forward to seeing those.
Plenty of writing time is on the agenda for the next few months, including working on the next book. I’m also busy thinking of ways other than writing to talk to people when I can’t be with them in person (for example, people in other countries). I’m getting really interested in audio at the minute, so creating something around that might be next too.
10. What do you think the key is to following and fulfilling a passion and ultimately ‘doing what you love’?
Work out what you love doing, and then find ways to weave that in to your life and your work. It doesn’t always have to mean that you work in that area, you can use it as an influence. For example, I love nature photography and being outdoors. So I use my nature images in my business materials (rather than working as a professional photographer, for example). I’ve also just started doing one-to-one ‘walk and talk’ advice sessions outdoors, and often sit outside for meetings if I can. It can be as simple as making small changes like this to your existing business.
Following and fulfilling a passion for writing is many-layered and does take time. But ultimately, if you have it in you – that ‘need’ to write – then the first thing you need to do is sit down and do that.
Frances’ snapshot…
Happiest moment: When I’m dancing
Best digital detox retreat: On a nature retreat entirely outdoors for three days!
Most inspiring book you’ve read: Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way
Best light-bulb moment: I guess the idea for The Distraction Trap. But it didn’t arrive in a ‘lightbulb’ moment way. It was more an awareness that grew into an idea.
Anything is possible; what’s your wish? For me personally… to have fun, be creative, and stay balanced. For me professionally… being able to work to inspire and motivate people to be productive, balanced and creative.
Quote you live by: “Make your dreams your to do list”. I saw this on a postcard a few years ago. I framed it and put it on my shelf.
Find out more about Frances at her website or order your copy of The Distraction Trap here.
