How do you stay focused and attentive enough to do everything you want to do each day?

[JoshRaed]

If I spend a large amount of time doing anything not in the list of things I have allotted, like if I find myself scrolling through social media, I will miss multiple things I had planned to do today. Most of it was divided into chunks of 30 minutes because I felt like this made me more productive for a while, but then it stopped working that way. Now my schedule is nearly meaningless no matter what I do to it on most days, and rarely survives past 11am.

Is it reasonable to expect to almost never have a moment like this where I space out and waste some time, or where I sleep in too long and miss some things? Is there too much stuff packed in each day when one hour of deviation from the schedule ruins the whole thing and means I have to get rid of something? Is it a bad thing that I can accidentally lose an hour or more of my day to random internet things, like this is not normal behavior? Or is it a common thing?

I tried alarms before, but now the alarm is just another intrusive thing that I ignore in order to go back to whatever I was doing before. Is there a way to specifically break that habit and start taking things like this as seriously as I should?

I guess this is about art kind of because the last time I got a page in on time I was doing it by staying up late every day with my drawing tablet, because all of the allotted drawing time I set for myself was wasted on random things, and now I've postponed the next entry in my comic for two weeks, after releasing the last one in a fully broken state.

[BlairFujin]

I think you're going to drive yourself insane if you try to micromanage each and every minute of your day and no, you can't stay focused whole day, your brain will just get too tired. If you struggle with your breaks (let's think this way about those distractions) prolonging too much, try to switch them to something with clear stopping points (social medias being in infinite scroll mode are meant to trap you with no such stopping point). Back when I was in University and would study for exams I'd use rougelike games as my breaks (Rougue Legacy and Binding of Isaac to be precise) - single run per each read through of my notes.

[VibrantFox]

at this point it may just be a lack of discipline

i'll admit that i can be prone to getting caught up in distractions and other nonproductive tasks or switching to a task that is productive but maybe not what i need to be getting done at that moment, granted it's a consequence of a lot of other things but in most cases i can at least put forth some effort to get what needs to be done finished it's just finding ways to keep myself engaged with that task and creating a reward to finish so that i feel more motivated

it's totally different for me when i'm at work though or if it's a day where i'm working because i've got set tasks to complete and because of how the workspace is organized it's pretty easy to divide my workload and complete things in chunks (for example which stockroom to prioritize or what section to focus on)

i will say as was mentioned above that micromanaging every aspect of your day and trying to force yourself to get stuff done will burn you out even quicker than anything. so like if breaking up a task helps then sure go for it but dont get so caught up in every minor detail that your overthinking everything and this getting nothing done cause you fall into a cycle of frustration that way

[NickRowler]

You might have adhd/add, even if it is just mild.

If social media is distracting you, then you need to remove the distraction. I don’t use Twitter, don’t have the app, I feel like being on it is not productive or positive to my mental health. Sites like Instagram I will only browse on my phone, and I will put my phone away if I need to focus on something important.

Having a show, music, or podcast playing while you draw helps. It helps make drawing less tedious. You can even make a rule like “I can only watch this show while I am drawing”.

[JoshRaed]

Thank you.

So is it a problem that there isn’t really an in-between point for anything?

Also do you know where I can find an alarm that works? I set an alarm for everything I have to do, and then I set a second one when the first one decided to stop working half the time, but earlier today, literally neither alarm did anything and I stayed in vet for an hour instead of half an hour, setting me behind on my schedule before breakfast.

[AmazementComics]

Just use the alarm clock on your phone or buy one for dirt cheap. Set a schedule and learn to commit to it. If you’re someone like me that needs more breaks than others, then work for 15 minutes, and break for 15 minutes consistently. There’s a function on smartphones now where you can choose which alarm sound fits your rhythm. My recommendation for you is to use the buzzing bell sound.

[VibrantFox]

personally i don't use alarms since those are easy to ignore but loosely monitoring the time has been relatively okay where my main thing is seeing how much i've gotten done over a general span of time. like i know planning/sketching can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour because i'll run through a bunch of different concepts before committing to one i like and then flesh out the rough sketch for that. lineart is a bit longer cause i've got to flesh out whatever details weren't reflected in the sketch and bring things to a level of polish that i'm satisfied with and then colors i just kind of let loose so i don't bother keeping an eye on time by that point cause i know the amount of time spent on it can vary a lot with me

but taking breaks between tasks can help so long as you commit to getting back to the thing you're meant to do and don't let it devolve into a distraction. like if i've finished a sketch i'll usually take a 5 to 10 minute stretch to let my hands rest and then jump back in so that i can keep the flow of what pose or whichever that i was working on when i do the lineart but if i'm going from lines to color i may allow for a slightly longer gap and go for an easy to measure break like playing a game or something, like i can do 1-3 matches in splatoon and then hop back to art since it's a time measured thing anyways or spending a little time in kinder world watering my plants and checking any messages that've been left

i think the main point is just committing to the task but also acknowledging if you're not making progress. like if i'm already in a sour mood or burnout is really kicking my backside i'll permit longer breaks or shift to a task that's easy to complete and less stressful like laundry or writing or updating social media with new/old art that hasn't gone up (which has been my routine more recently since works been really tiring) but if i've got the energy to get art done i'll try and set out to at least finish a sketch or get up to finishing lineart but something that i can pick up the next day and keep at it

also if alarms aren't working then finding other ways to measure time could work too. like one game that i play, unison league has this thing where you send out the adventure limimin to gather items and stuff for you and it's around three hours so if i've sent him off then i use those three hours to complete a task then check back in on the game for a 15 minute break and then go back to what i was doing. another is splatoon like i'd mentioned where matches are about 5 minutes or so so if i want a measured break i'll pop in finish 2 or 3 matches or a grizzco shift and then get back to work

obviously you'll have to seek out and find what works for you but again it's about committing and being patient with yourself especially if you're struggling with consistency coz in reality there's no perfectly planned and executed day (except maybe school but after 3pm it's on you) so finding a rhythm that's easy to stick with may take time but will be worth it

edit: i'll also note that my other "alarm clock" is my dog so measuring things around his internal clock has sometimes helped me tho other times i'll just break away from a task coz he's gotten particularly demanding about one thing or another (like now it's food so)

[BoomerZ]

Going to throw some harsh reality on you. It's up to you to get stuff done. There is no magic way to get stuff done but just sit down and do it. If you find yourself losing concentration after a while of drawing, stand up and walk around. That is just your body not liking sitting still for to long. It literally happens to everyone. It's biological. Also remember drawing and creating takes brain power. Brain power is not relaxing, it's work. Look up how many calories chess players burn in competition. So thinking you will just sit and draw for 12-18 hours is not realistic. Just as jogging for hours at a time is not realistic.

Draw and create like it's the only thing you are doing. Soft background noise is fine, but never listen to stuff you actually have to pay attention to. This includes social media or anime. Too many people act like drawing is something you do while doing something else. The best thing I heard in school during life drawing was consciously draw, knowing full well that is all you are doing. Don't do it on autopilot. If you don't give yourself distractions, you won't have them.

[JoshRaed]

My phone alarms just sort of randomly decide whether they want to work or not now that I've made one for each object. Is there a way to fix that?

[JoshRaed]

Okay. I'm going to keep that in mind. I sometimes use lo-fi or rain noises. I'll do that more often now.

[VibrantFox]

My phone alarms just sort of randomly decide whether they want to work or not now that I've made one for each object. Is there a way to fix that?

for something like this reducing the number of alarms is probably your best bet and maybe consider investing in something like an egg/pomodoro timer or maybe try this site/app that provides a timer for you as well as explaining the pomodoro method more (which sounds kind of like what you've been trying to do)

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also on the music thing i think it can vary from person to person what's most effective cause the kind of music or ambience that a person finds good for mental stimulation or focus can vary a ton. like me personally sometimes i need something a little more loud and chaotic like breakcore or something energetic like splatoon music or calm quiet stuff like lo-fi or just general ambient sounds like cafe sounds or library ambients (even ocean sounds have been really good for me) so it's less "there's only one way to do this" but more finding what scratches your brains itches

lots of folks kind of have this mindset that the only way to get things done is to just sit and do but not everyone can "find their buttons" to do a task (borrowing wording from the adhdalien there) if you've got a neurodivergent brain doing certain tasks or organizing a day can get hectic and overwhelming fast and it's not uncommon for things that used to work at one point suddenly stop at the next (god knows it's a constant battle that i have to fight) so constantly switching up methods is sometimes one of those things you gotta do it's just (again) about being patient with yourself and doing what you can to the best of your ability (whatever that may be at a given time)

[SleepingPoppy]

Now my schedule is nearly meaningless no matter what I do to it on most days, and rarely survives past 11am.

Maybe you could focus on getting your more important things done in the morning, and schedule more rewarding, liesurely, and or optional activities in the afternoon.

I can accidentally lose an hour or more of my day to random internet things, like this is not normal behavior? Or is it a common thing?

It is extremely common for people to loose time to social media. Most of us have some experience loosing more time than intended to this kind of activity. It's also okay to allow for time to do non-productive things. Down time is important. But if you feel like it's getting in the way, restricting your access, or deleting apps that are too distracting is also fine.

But just FYI, personally I am so exhausted by my day job, that unless there is something vital to do, I pretty much vegetable once I'm home. I have anxiety and depression (both treated), and to be healthy I need time where there's nothing I have to be doing. Do I wish I spent that time working on my comic? Yes. Do I force it? No.

Is there a way to specifically break that habit and start taking things like this as seriously as I should?

I feel like it comes down to self control and motivation. I have no idea if you're a student or work or what, but for example.. if at your job you spend an hour on facebook instead of your assigned activity, you will probably get written up, if not fired. If you play on the internet instead of doing your homework, you hurt your grade. You are responsible for making sure you do the things that you think are important to do. But that should include breaks.

I guess this is about art kind of because the last time I got a page in on time I was doing it by staying up late every day with my drawing tablet, because all of the allotted drawing time I set for myself was wasted on random things, and now I've postponed the next entry in my comic for two weeks, after releasing the last one in a fully broken state.

This is a package of advice most comic creators will give newbies- create a buffer. You almost always want to be several pages ahead of what you are posting online, because RL includes unexpected interruptions. My ideal schedule was posting one page of the comic per week online, with 4 pages already finished. I would take a month long break from posting pages between chapters, and a week or more midchapter, specifically to give myself time to work on the buffer pages.

One page a week isn't the only possible schedule, its about figuring our what makes sense with your life. You've talked before now about speed being a problem, so forcing yourself into a schedule you can't actually keep up with seems like it would cause more stress, which can feed into the problem. But there are people who work best with the stress of a deadline, so this isn't meant as "one size fits all" advice. Just food for thought stuff.

[JoshRaed]

Is there a schedule app that can set alarms for only when things start? Because if I ever have to change my schedule, it sort of ruins the whole system by having the alarms not line up with the events.

[VibrantFox]

like i'd posted in the last reply this site has an app where you can set timers though you'll have to explore it yourself to check over how it functions

https://www.tomatotimers.com/

another thing is to maybe not get so caught up in having set times for each task over the course of the day but instead put them into a list like is shown on the site prioritizing the most important for the top of the list and more leisurely tasks below then setting a timer to work at them (again like the diagram here)

i think by focusing a bit less on the larger pile of tasks, breaking them up might make it easier for you to tackle them or at the least help you figure out what's best to prioritize so that you can be more productive. it'll be up to you to commit to getting things done but hopefully you can figure out a pattern that works

[river121693]

I have adhd and the distraction for me comes from the instant gratification of social media and me losing interest in drawing.

the best thing for me has been my belief that scrolling social media and gaming is purposeless and doesn’t do anything to progress my goals. I tell myself that if I want to get my story out I got to keep drawing. I give myself time an hr to draw, and keep going until I notice I’m noodling, then I go and do something else for 30-1hr and comeback. Rinse and repeat.

When I’m not doing anything, my instinct is to grab my phone, so to avoid that, I have my phone on silent in another room. I keep a list of chores that I go through instead of social media

[JoshRaed]

I think I might try the method you just suggested as an alternative to the daily schedule format. Thank you.

[RedLenai]

Pomodoros
Spoon method
Elephant theory
Reminders
Alarms
Sticky notes
App/Website blockers
Being responsible and forcing yourself to do the task instead of purposefully seeking to be distracted

Still, no matter what method you try, if you don't commit to an activity or task, if you're not responsible, if you don't genuinely care then you won't do it. The methods and tools are there but they won't come take physical shape and nag you about doing stuff as if they were your mom or teacher, so you have to be your own annoying responsible authority figure. It's up to you to stick to a routine, be responsible, consistent and keeping up with it until you form the habit (which can take even more than 66 days, the average time it takes someone to form an habit)

Figure it out on your own, you're the one who knows what you do each day, you're the one who has to track their own activity, more than suggesting a few methods we cannot do much about your lack of focus or commitment.