Lately, my focus has been all over the place. This summer had me in super chill mode and that’s not good cuz I ain’t got time to chill. I have stuff to do. Businesses to build. Money to make. Women to inspire. Pounds to shed. I am a big advocate for self-care and taking breaks to recoup without guilt but I have been taking it way too far for way too long and I’m feeling the effects. It’s been hard for me to bounce back into grind mode. Not to mention, this summer I picked me up a little boo thang and he’s been getting way more of my time and attention than I probably can afford. My laziness comes on strong and tight so I always have to make sure I have certain things in place to keep it in check. So, I had to take a step back and realign myself. I needed to get reacquainted with my goals and priorities and make some working changes. Below are some ways that I’ve established to help me get back on track and might serve you as well.
Turn It Off – In the past I could always work simultaneously with the TV or radio going on in the background. But now I just can’t focus with the white noise. I either find myself completely engaged in the TV or singing full ballads and twerking in the mirror. I now work in complete silence, especially on tasks which require my full attention. It really has helped me to focus.
Do Not Disturb – I have started putting my phone on the Do Not Disturb feature and turning it face down. That way, I don’t hear or see a single text, call or push notification that comes to derail my attention. At first, I felt a little guilty about doing this out of worry about missing an important phone call or something urgent from my family. But that’s why God created voicemail. Our phones, with all of its capabilities, lead us to believe that we have to be accessible 24/7. We’re so tethered to our phones that responding to every ding becomes automation. That type of distraction is counterproductive when you’re trying to work and concentrate. Don’t be afraid to tell others you are working during and that you’ll have to reach out to them later. Turn the phone off.
Make a Schedule – I have always kept a calendar for important reminders and appointments. But recently, I started using my calendar to block off times, dedicating my energy towards certain tasks. I have blocked off time for writing and doing work for my blog every day. It is visibly marked on my calendar and I get an alert when it’s time for me to work. This way I set aside time specifically to work on one task uninterrupted.
Stop Multitasking – Before I made the schedule with task-specific blocks, I would just open my computer and work on things at random. Before I knew, it hours would have gone by and I couldn’t really account for anything I had done during that time. Or I would get so overwhelmed by all that I needed to do that I didn’t know where to start so I took a nap instead. So I stopped multitasking. If my calendar is scheduled for BGA writing 2-4pm, then I make sure to do nothing else during this time. This means purposely ignoring other priorities not designated to that time block. I get so much more accomplished when I don’t divide my attention between my other projects.
There are so many distractions in this world. Heck, I don’t even have a husband or children to divide my time with so I know that for many of you, staying focus can be a challenge. But we can’t get derailed and distracted from doing the things God has called us to do, especially when we are doing good works that help motivate and empower others. What are some tools you use to maintain your focus and keep from getting distracted? Let me know because I am still trying to figure this thang out.
Good tips on how to not get distracted
Sometimes it is helpful to set weekly goals also so you can have short term successes…helps you to stay focused and on track
Great idea! Weekly goals are a must.
great tips! I need to work on the last one.. multi-tasking. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this post. Great tips
Listen!! I used to be paranoid to put my phone on do not disturb like… what If I miss something?! Nothing is going on that won’t be happening when you have free time!!! These are all great tips hun 🙂
I can relate to some of these. I feel like Im always trying to multitask. Sometimes that works, but other times not so much. Schedule blocking helps me get things done.
I am a worker at night. It is the least distracted time. Everyone is in bed, I have my tea and there are no distractions although I do turn on a little music.
Social media is a huge distraction. Try turning off your push notifications so you won’t be tempted to respond to them.
The biggest main distraction that I need to avoid in order to get my tasks done on time is Facebook. Facebook can eat away your time like a bad habit.
I have been so distracted from work lately that I literally put my TV in my closet so I couldn’t accidentally binge an entire show lol.
-shay
http://www.shayshaytries.com
I think this is the super Aquarius in me but I do multitask all the time. Also I need to put my phone on DND more often.
Making a schedule and keeping a list keeps me sane. If I don’t write it down, it won’t get done.
Awesome tips! Now I need a hack on how to do those as a wife and mom LOL
You and I are in the same boat. I’m learning that Im not as good a multitasker as I once thought. Lately, I’ve been focusing one thing at a time. My motto is to touch it once and finish it to completion. This way I’m not jumping from task to task.
This was a great post. I’ve realized that I”m not as good at multitasking as I thought and really working on focusing and finishing things to completion. Lately, my motto has been “touch it once.”
I like that motto!