Waging War on Distractions

My husband, John, on his kayak on Silver Lake in Wolverine, Michigan

It's summer, and it's beautiful, and you can think of 101 different things to do today. Not that I'm asking you to be a hermit in the summer. Let's be real...the snow will be here soon enough. But, that novel isn't going to write itself. And revisions? Your pencil can be a bit lazy if you don't pick it up and force it to work. My remedy is a simple word: balance.

What works for me is to write and revise in the mornings. My summer internal clock is still set on my winter schedule (shh, don't tell it), so I am still getting up very early, even though I do not have to teach classes until the afternoons. I grab my coffee, laptop, notebook, and pencil, and head out to my front porch where I can enjoy God's creation...and get to work (but coffee comes before writing...priorities, people). After two hours of truly focused writing, the rest of the day is mine. Oftentimes, I might steal a few more hours to write, but mostly I spend time with my boys, teach my classes, go swimming, eat ice cream, and enjoy the lovely summer weather. 

What works for you? How do you wage war on distractions?