Business Success Tip #2 - Handling Distractions
Published on 3 Jul 2007 at 5:26 pm.
3 Comments.
Filed under Business Development, Feature Articles, Personal Development Strategies.
Let’s face it, we all get distracted periodically. There are many reasons why.
Here’s five reasons why you might be getting distracted:
- You just don’t want to do what you feel you have to do or should do. In essence, you are pursuing the wrong goals. Not very motivating, is it?
- The environment does not positively support you in being at your best. (Too noisy, disorganized, poor location, chaotic).
- Your self-care is off. Life and business situations feel more stressful and overwhelming.
- Your attention is divided in too many directions. You’re trying to do it all.
- You have too much clutter.
I’ll fess up. I’ve been distracted for the last two weeks. I just wanna play. If you work for yourself like I do, you know business owners are the biggest offenders at working very long hours with too few breaks. All the more reason to pay attention to when we need to add some socializing, some fun, and lightness so that we can continue to enjoy our lives, right?
And don’t use that tired old excuse of “I don’t have the time to stop and have fun”. We all have the same 24 hours in each day. It’s up to you how you use it.
If you are challenged to stay on track, here’s some tips to manage your distractions:
- If you’ve been working hard and feel like playing hooky, it’s ok to take a break from your work. Even short breaks of 15 minutes every 3-4 hours just to do something else can make a big difference is regaining focus.
- Schedule some play times to relax and have some fun. Nurturing yourself regularly will help you stay focused. Remember to celebrate your big and small successes.
- Are you a morning person or a night person? Plan your daily activities when your energies are most conducive to the tasks at hand. In other words, if you are at your best in the morning, you might schedule important meetings, prospect calls, or write proposals before noon rather than mid-day or late afternoon when your energy is waning.
- When your thoughts begin to wander (and you notice it) get up and move around. Activity of some kind will bring you back to the present.
- Get clear on your intentions and the results you want. Have you chosen the right goals - ones that excite you to action? If not, you will be more easily distracted.
- Your projects might be too big to tackle at once. Break your actions into smaller steps. Feeling overwhelmed can create distractions.
- Begin de-cluttering. Schedule time each day to deal with things that have been piling up. Be willing to delegate some tasks to others instead of trying to do it all.
- Ever get caught up in multi-tasking? Ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?” Is this moving me towards what I desire or away from it? Is this the best time for me to be doing this?
- If you do get distracted, suspend your judgments. Beating yourself up and getting down on yourself is unproductive. Recognize your distraction as a sign that something is off in your life. Use that information to help you move forward in ways that create more ease in your life and move you towards what you want.
I’m also a believer surrounding yourself with people who help you stay motivated such as networking and mastermind groups. We all need a boost or a kick in the butt when we start drifting off!
So, I’m taking a break this week and playing more than I work. I need it! How about you?
Leave me a comment. Tell me what you think!
ask the Career Counselor — Helping you Navigate the Career Landscape on 9 Oct 2007 at 12:35 pm: 1
[...] writing on this subject! Her posts How to Stop Saying Yes When Your Need to Say No and Handling Distractions are two of my favorite articles concerning time management. business, getting things done, job, [...]
Powerfull Living » Business Success (and Life) Tip #12 - 15 Minute Increments on 17 Oct 2007 at 8:40 am: 2
[...] Check out my two posts: How to Stop Saying Yes When Your Need to Say No and Handling Distractions for additional tips concerning time management. Digg StumbleUpon Technorati [...]
Powerfull Living » 5 Important Questions To Manage Distractions on 20 Aug 2008 at 4:30 pm: 3
[...] To read more about what I wrote in a previous article about distractions, click here [...]