How to overcome distractions
Here’s What Industry Insiders Say About How To Overcome Distractions
Why do I get so distracted? I am talking about all the time! One simple blog post can take me hours or sometimes even days, because of how distracted I get. I have two little boys and they’re not even the ones to blame. Shame on me. I must say, I daydream a lot. I can be writing something and if I so happen to mention a car, the back of my mind starts thinking about the oil change that needs to get scheduled.
Then I remembered my sons dentist appointment that I never scheduled. I somehow, went from typing the word “car” to wasting 2-3 hours on making appointments, then getting side tracked doing other things, that can wait!
At the end of it all, I didn’t accomplish anything. Even though I have been doing something for hours, I feel unaccomplished because I was working on things that weren’t priority. So here I am, feeling like I just did everything, but nothing at the same time. Then when you realize how many hours you have waisted, how many blog post you could’ve wrote in this waisted time. Distraction is a pain in the butt, huh?
The main thing about being distracted, is that you don’t know what you want. You are not clear on your goals or vision, so you allow anything to step in the way.
Have you ever got in the “cleaning mood”? I mean, you wake up and tell yourself, “I am cleaning this whole entire house today!” You even plan out how and what you’re cleaning first and next. You get to cleaning and not even your children stop you from doing so.
However, you get the job done! Sure, you feel tired but the rewarding feeling of a nice, clean house is probably one of the best feelings for a woman. It definitely beats being tired and totally worth it!
What’s helped me along my journey were two specific things.
- Get clear on my goals! Because without this, there is no #2.
- Be aware when you get side tracked! & try one of these methods out below.
Methods to ELIMINATE distractions
Notepad
I talk about this a bit more here. I don’t know if you’re the same like me, but I have a million and one thoughts running through my head, daily! Sometimes I can take forever to go to sleep because I’m replaying the day and thinking about the to-do list for tomorrow, and/or week!
If you’re anything like me, please pay attention because it has changed my life and given me back my sanity! Write it down!!! When I’m on my computer working on my blog or even school, I have a notepad right next to me. When I catch myself daydreaming, trying to drift off or thinking about other things that need to get done. I simply write it down on my life. That way it’s off my mind and on paper to remind me about it at a later time.
When you’re done with your priorities, you can check out your list and take care of it then. This method gives me peace of mind as well as keeping me on track.
I have another great solution for those who don’t like pen and paper or possibly who don’t carry around a notebook every second of the day. Use your phone that you carry around you 24/7! On all phones, iPhones or Androids, there is a “note” section. USE IT!
Catch yourself
Like I explained earlier, the best way to eliminate distractions is to become aware when you’re getting pulled a different direction. If you can’t recognize it then it’s going to be extremely hard staying focused! Having to ask yourself “what am I suppose to be doing right now” when you know you’re out of place is a great start.
The fastest way I got it down was to be very determined on finishing a task. I have to tell myself how important and beneficial finishing this task is going to be. Once I start, I find myself daydreaming and drifting off. Once I do, I write it down (number 1!) to come back to that thought or task later.
This is probably the first step to take when wanting to eliminate distractions. Awareness.
Recap on what’s important to you
I said this from the very beginning, if you don’t know what you want, then it’s going to be very difficult to prioritize your time. Make sure you are clear on your goals. You have to ask yourself, what are you doing this for? What is its grand purpose?
I said earlier that I can take up to days to finish a blog post! Do you want to know why? Because I am not 100% clear on where I want to go with my blog! Here’s the crazy part. I do have a grand plan, I’m just afraid to start it but that’s a different story. Anyways, because I’m not clear on what I want exactly, it’s easy for me to get side tracked.
Have a one on one serious conversation with yourself!! Figure things out. What to do you need to start? Or what do you need to cut out. You can read more about HERE.
Alarms
Best thing after my notepad method is alarms! Some people like to call them time blocks. So let me tell you what I do and how it has helped me stay on track and eliminate distractions.
When it’s time for me to study for my test, I usually set an alarm for one hour. It’s as easy as dialing a number on my phone. Once I do that, I promise myself there will be no other distractions. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my notebook next to my computer, just in case. But the point is, I only have so much time to get my task completed.
The ticking time has such a weird effect on my focus. Instead of telling myself, I need to study for my test. A better way I found was telling myself, I have one hour to study to pass this test. This gives me such pressure, in a good way, to use my time wisely.
These methods work amazing for me! But I would love to hear if you use a different technique?