Unless you’re a Buddhist monk, you encounter distractions from time to time that minimize your effectiveness in getting your work done.
The internet is especially disrupting with email, messages, status updates, and more. But distractions also include family and our own wandering minds.
The big question becomes ‘how can you defeat this tendency?’.
When we set a time limit, we improve our ability to focus. It almost becomes a game of ‘beat the clock’. I would suggest you use a timer and limit your work periods to around 25 or 45 minutes – with a 5-15 minute break in between tasks. If a task is going to take longer than 45 minutes, you can continue with it at a different moment by creating what I call a new ‘time slot’.
Research has shown that the most productive schedule for most people is: 50 minutes of work, 10 minute break, 50 more minutes of work, 30 minute break (this is a good time to get up, walk around, and get a drink) and repeat..
Time your breaks: If you decide to check your email or do one of those other tasks that seem to magically go from 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more, using a timer will serve as a reminder. It will also force you to only check on the most important things.
Everything on your computer that isn’t necessary for the task at hand should be closed down. If you don’t need the internet, shut it off. That includes all your email, notifications, games, and blogs. Close your door and unplug the phone, if possible.
When you first implement these habits, there will be times that you will have an incredible urge to check your email, Facebook, or Twitter. You might even want to quickly make a phone call. I even remember times when I quickly wanted to get up to go and do the laundry or wash the dishes.
These easy habits, which anyone can do, can go a long way toward improving your focus and effectiveness at any task.
It’s likely to be challenging at first, but you can do it. You can get more done, in less time, by learning to improve your focus and avoiding the things that waste your precious time.
If you put these three habits into practice starting today, you’ll be impressed by how much more you can get done!