Actors have rituals. They need a certain piece of candy, or a glass of water placed just so before they can perform. Public speakers also tend to have them. So do most writers.
These rituals aren’t necessarily spiritual in nature, though some are. What they do is let the brain know that it’s about to be put to work. It sets the mood or tone for the day’s efforts. Without them, it would be more difficult to concentrate and provide good, useful material.
My particular rituals are a combination of spiritual and practical. For the spiritual part, I read the Bible and talk to God about what I want to do. My prayer is that whatever I write help at least one person, whether I find out who it is or not. Of course, I’d like what I write to help many people…I get paid more that way.
The practical part is just as important. The first thing I do is look for the subjects I’ll be writing about that day. I prefer to have a minimum of seven ideas before beginning, though I don’t always write that many articles in a day.
To do that, I comb news sites, particularly in the health section. I’m a Master Herbalist first, though I do branch out if a topic interests me…or irritates me. I can usually find what I need fairly quickly.
Then, I come out to our travel trailer. This is an important thing because it separates me from the stuff in the house that could become a distraction. One of those distractions is feline in nature and likes to lie down (or walk) on the keyboard. That makes writing difficult.
Most of the time I take phones out with me, but there have been times when I’ve “accidentally” forgotten them. This usually occurs when a family member has already called me five times and asked the same question. It’s not fair to her, but I do need a break.
Once out here, I write an outline for each idea. I hated writing outlines in school, but they are essential to my writing now. Without them, I find myself wandering off on a tangent away from the original idea of the piece.
These steps may seem boring and/or simplistic, but I’ve found it’s very difficult to work without most of them. I’ve done it, but the concentration is much harder. With them, I can be both productive and unstressed by the work I’ve set myself for the day. Hopefully, this will also help you develop what you need to improve concentration and quality work.