In our quest to make more time to write, we tend to focus on the big distractions. It’s easy to feel like the world is against you as you deal with events, meetings, chores, and never-ending tasks.

Those items can make it difficult to squeeze in writing time, for sure. However, there is a more insidious form of distraction, and those are the little things.

It’s the social media notifications. The unsolicited (and unwanted) phone calls. The text messages. The noise of people in the other room. The barking dogs and neighbors clattering around outside—and a dozen other things that steal your attention.

When you sit down to write, those little distractions eat away at your time and attention. They may seem harmless in the moment, but it takes a couple of minutes to get your attention back when it’s stolen away. Those precious minutes make up precious hours, which are the building blocks of articles, podcasts, books, and more.

E.B. White said, “Creation is in part merely the business of forgoing the great and small distractions.” How true that is!

So watch out for those little distractions. They are far more dangerous than you realize.

Daily Question: What are three little distractions that interrupt your writing, and how can you eliminate or reduce them?