Eliminating Distractions

In an earlier article, I talked briefly about the importance of eliminating distractions. Well, believe me, this topic deserves an article all on its own. 

You now understand the effectiveness of chunking and that by implementing this into your workweek you’ll get more done in less time, but we need to dig a little deeper.

Your work environment is just as important as your work flow.  You should do everything possible to separate your personal life from your work life, which means talking with friends and family who may feel that just because you now work from home, you’re free for conversations throughout the day.

Create a routine for yourself and try to stick with it.  If you can create a realistic work schedule that everyone in your life understands, you’ll be able to minimize distractions while making each hour count.

Doing this will also help you avoid burn out.  You can only go full-speed ahead for so long before you’ll suffer the consequences including a dried up creative well.  Pushing forward without breaks or any sort of normal schedule will also leave you scrambling to fix errors, revise projects and will cause you to overlook important tasks.  

You’ve likely been through this already.  You gun so hard on a project for so long that you end up forgetting important information, or overlook something that causes your project to fail.  Allow yourself time to reset. 

As for your office environment itself, it all depends on what helps you to stay focused. For some, they find that music helps them focus while others need it to be completely silent. 

Do your best to figure out what kind of routine will get you into a working mindset.

Does working out in the morning help? 

Do you have to shut off your phone, close your email, or fire up a playlist in order to spring into action? 

Find your groove and stick with it. 

Your family, your mental health, and your career will thank you for it.