Focus

I debated putting that picture up. I loathe it because of ME (so kindly don't click to make it any bigger, my hips don't need to get bigger than that and I honestly can't tell you what I was thinking with THOSE jeans for my newly bigger body), but it really fit my post this morning. Lily looks great - she has such awesome focus. When I say 'watch me!', she does. She may glance away momentarily, but her eyes come straight back to me. We've been working on it while heeling recently and she prances. It's quite a sight walking down the street with her glued to my side, eyes on me, prancing (usually while some little dog goes all cujo on her lunging and barking). She's so wonderfully focused...most of the time. She does have walks where she'd rather have that sniff or we get to a corner and she sits...a good foot away from me. I can say, "Um, where am I?" and she immediately moves over, but not to where she absolutely should be. I've been having a lot of Lily "off" days. My focus is just off. I wish my WIP could talk and say, "Watch me!" to regain my eye contact. It's not that I'm struggling with the work. The story seems to be flowing nicely. Yesterday, I actually wrote on the back of my schedule in the teacher's lounge in between classes. I had good eye contact and was spot on Monday. Tuesday? Not so much. I feel like I'm at the curb and I just sat a mile away from my WIP. I've been struggling to stay on task today. It wouldn't be a problem to have an off day here and there, but this has been since the beginning of the month. I set a goal of finishing this rewrite at the end of June. I'm only 7 chapters in to this thing. By the end of the summer, I wanted this so solid, I was ready to work on query letters and elevator pitches. Sigh. I have to find that focus. I don't want for time most days. It's just using that time wisely that I struggle with. I get so frustrated with myself. One little sniff leads me far off the path. I look up and I'm in a completely different area, the sun is setting and the day is long gone. I've wasted yet another day on trivial things that didn't help my WIP or my life in general. There is just so much stuff to lead me astray. I'm out of town Thursday and Friday this week so today and tomorrow are important. Focus, focus, focus! I teach half the day tomorrow but that doesn't mean that I can't be writing on my breaks or that I can't come home and write after a nap. It also doesn't mean that I can't get a little rewriting done when I'm in San Diego for a few days. Setting goals usually does it for me, but right now that isn't working. Perhaps a smaller goal - weekly rather than monthly - would help? I don't know!

How is your focus? What do you do to get back on track when you've lost it?