Let’s face it, we live in a world of distraction. Every day there are seemingly thousands of different things that beg for our attention. Our email, text messages, televisions, computers and yes other people will try to pull you in a million directions, seemingly all at once. This is not a problem if you don’t have anywhere to be or anything to get done, but for the most of us it means we have a hard time focusing and accomplishing our goals.
How do I stay on task?
Plan your work, work your plan – I’m a “list” guy, meaning I have to have a legal pad and pen to plan out my day. Either I do it at night before I leave the office or first thing when I get in, but I have to have my list. I try to prioritize what “has to” absolutely get done today, including appointments and phone calls. At the bottom of the list are the “maybes” or “some day” items. I don’t stress too much on getting everything done but I try to make sure the most important things are done.
Don’t try to multi-task – I’m not sure who came up with this concept, but I am terrible at it. Who thought it was a good idea to try to spread our efforts and energies across multiple tasks at the same time, thinking it would lead to better results? It usually means mediocre performance and no true feeling of accomplishment. I find it’s better for me to focus on one thing at a time, complete it and then move on to the next thing. And trust me, there will always be more “next things” coming.
Don’t do everything yourself – There’s only so much time in the day and only so much I can do. A huge “to-do” list from bullet point number one above can sometimes seem overwhelming, so the powers of leverage and delegation can be very helpful here. I have mentioned in another post that I try to hire people smarter than me, so I use their expertise to help get more things done. I don’t have the need to be the Lone Ranger coming to the rescue and saving the day. Share the task with someone who may have a better and/or quicker way to accomplish it and give them all the credit. Added bonus: watch team members’ confidence skyrocket when they see themselves called upon to help solve challenging problems or situations.
Do something else – When I find myself working on something, not getting anywhere and I don’t have someone to lean on, I sometimes walk away from it for a bit. Trying to get “unstuck” can be as simple as moving on to something else, completing that and coming back to the original situation. Obviously this does not apply if you’re dealing with an emergency (upset customer demanding action now, etc.), but in strategic situations it can lend some perspective and allow you to come back at it from a different angle.
Check in – From time to time throughout the day, I need to “check in” with myself and see how I am doing relative to my goals for the day. Reviewing that list of things to do, making sure I’m doing the most important/most productive thing I can at the moment sort of hits the reset button for me. It may be only once or twice a day, but it helps me center myself and not get too carried away.
Go easy on yourself – I would venture that even the most productive people in the world don’t get everything done on their list every day. That would mean they need a bigger list! I try not to beat myself up at the end of the day if it didn’t go exactly the way I planned. Most days my plan is blown up anyway, so I don’t want to be too hard on myself. What I do before I go to bed is write in a journal, recapping events and how I felt about them. I find that this is a good way for me to release the stresses of the day and get things down on paper. It just makes it easier for me to compartmentalize, put it away and get ready for the next day.
So, how do you stay focused and on task during the day? How do you deal with all the little distractions that try to force you off course? I’d love to hear your feedback.
Make it a great day!
Dan
