I love distractions. I look forward to them and they are a necessary part of my day. When one looks at my day there is plenty of corroborating evidence to support that. When I woke up early this morning, I had two goals: (1) To finish and publish a blog (2) To finish and order a Shutterfly album. I gave myself 2 hours to complete both tasks. That would plenty of time, if and only if, I focused.
Here is what happened instead. I arrive on the scene to an already open webpage. It was the kids school website. Oh yeah, I was interested in finding out more about the First in Math web page. Oh that’s cool, they can do all that on this site? What a fun way to learn math. What else do they have here? Oh look, Brainpop Jr. I wonder what that’s all about. I followed this path of discovery and learning until I got back to my senses. I closed the whole browser, moved my hand off the mouse and thought to myself, why did I get up at 5 this morning?
I don’t think it’s all my fault. I will take most of the blame but I feel like my computer is designed to conspire against me. My list on getting more focus is going to be computer biased because that is the place where my focus is challenged the most precisely because it’s the place I have opportunity to both work and play!
1. Shut Down the Offending Program
My Email has a bubble that slowly rises out of the right hand corner to tell me every time a new email has arrived – turn it off. These endless floating bubbles pop up from Facebook, Skype, new software updates and on and on. Close the offending application and you will get to it when you decide to, not because of a floating bubble. My baby sitter told me the other day she hadn’t looked at her emails all day. I nearly fainted, what, how could she still be breathing?
2. Close all other Tabs on your Browser
Here is the conspiracy at work. I use about 5 different web browsers, what can I say, I like to shop around. I have noticed that all of them have gone to the tabs format. It doesn’t matter whether you are using Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla or FireFox at the click of a plus button you can add a new tab without closing the previous one. Wow. But wait there’s more. Then you can save these tabs to automatically all open up when you start your browser. So when I open Google Chrome in the morning, there are 8 webpages that open up. If my purpose is to scan and browse the web, this is perfect. But if my purpose is to work on a specific page, then close all those tabs and get to work.
3. Stop Multitasking
I don’t really care if you are good at multitasking or not but it is a proven fact that multitasking reduces productivity. By how much? By about 40%. You could almost double your productivity just by focusing on one thing at a time. You lose so much time transitioning from one task to another, that’s its never worth it. Incidentally this was the best advice I ever got as a new mom of triplets. My question was: what if all three are wailing at the same time? The answer: one baby at a time!
4. Clear your Work Area
A cluttered work space is just an open invitation to getting distracted. A stack of mail here, an uncleared dish over there, a pile of laundry on the couch. You don’t have to take care of all these things to start working but once you have taken care of them your focus will that much more undivided.
5. Do Not Answer your Phone
Oh, I am so guilty of this, if it rings it must be urgent. Really? Are all my calls urgent? Besides meetings and places where cell phones are not allowed the primary reason I don’t answer my phone is if I don’t hear it. Tell me, in that scenario do I have any choice in the matter? Apparently not, if you call me, I am obligated to talk to you unless I don’t hear my phone ring. This was true when a cellphone call represented an emergency. Back in the day, people did not call you on your cell unless it was an emergency. For me it’s even more ridiculous since I only have a cellphone. People don’t have a choice but to call me on my cell so the choice is clearly mine as to when to answer and when to call them back.
6. Use the Same Single Minded Focus for Everything
Why is it that I think I should be focused when reading an important article but not when talking to my kids? Why does typing up an important email require all my attention but not clearing the table. If focusing improves my productivity, no exceptions, then this should be the approach to everything.
7. Take Control of your Day
This is the number one reason I know I love distractions. I can easily blame my inability to finish something on someone or something else. This is a great and welcome relief to know that it wasn’t me making bad choices, it was the other guy interrupting me. I don’t think so. If my day is mapped out and planned out, then I am more likely to achieve the tasks set out for the day. If it’s not, I don’t, simple.
8. Mark your Progress
Checklists make me feel good. They give me this great sense of accomplishment. Silly really when you think about it. It’s just a list, that I created. What it signifies though is my intent and since I get a great deal of satisfaction from following through, this is me meeting my commitments to myself. I feel good when I can check off the things I committed to do.
9. Take Stock
I started with the day to day, the immediate and the easy wins for getting you focused. But if focusing is a real problem for you then you might need to step back and take stock. Where are you spending your time? Where do you really want to be spending your time? What do you need to change to make that happen?
10. Have Fun
What’s the whole point of improving your productivity, so you can produce more? I hope not. What’s the carrot. What’s the big payoff at the end. We tell our kids, work then play. Same goes for you. If you have done all your work, for heavens sake, go play!
