When I sit down to write these days, it feels a bit like trying to take a winter swim in an outdoor pool filled with molasses. Not easy going, let me tell you! Things at home are a bit hectic and chaotic, and life is kind of up in the air at the moment. All of this makes it quite tough to keep my mind focused on my writing!

Every writer has those times in their lives when it's just too damn hard to write! Whether it's a family emergency, writer's block, or a lack of desire to write, there's always something that tries to take us away from our writing. It's hard to sit and hammer away at the keys because there's so much else on our minds!

I'm the kind of guy that likes to tackle stuff head on. I've got a thick skull, so I'll usually lower my head and charge. This time that I'm struggling to write, by God, I'm going to make time to write more so that I can get over this problem.

But sometimes I find the better approach is to finesse the problem. Instead of trying to force myself to keep writing when I really don't feel it, it's time to switch things up! For example, shifting my writing time an hour earlier has totally helped to increase my productivity during that 60 minutes that I get to write. I can't increase my output drastically, but it's enough that the writing seems to flow more easily, and I have fewer distractions.

It's all about finding the right tool for the job! Sometimes it's better just to tackle that writer's block or distraction head-on, and treat it like an obstacle that needs to be rammed. Other times, it's wiser to take a break, change things up, or find a new way to do the same thing. It can definitely help to deal with a problem before it gets serious!

So how do you handle these problems? When they come around, how do you face them?