Do you wonder why you can’t accomplish anything?
I wonder all the time. I start a project and get immersed in it and then realize hours later that I haven’t been working on things that were the original focus of the project. Why do we get distracted so easily?
A big reason we get distracted easily is that we allow so much into our lives. We have work, family, friends, online communities and a huge variety of ways to interact with all of those that leave us distracted and confused. This is a big reason I have skipped having a cell phone. A distraction that can intrude on me anytime and almost anywhere. Cutting that out I am able to focus on things I am working on which allows me to be more productive.
Step back from the immediacy of things that we are faced with. We are told we must act now and do this or that immediately when in reality these things don’t require immediate action, they only want immediate attention.
Here are some things I do to keep from losing focus and getting totally lost.
- I turn off the media that calls for my attention (this can be hard but it will suck major portions of your life away if you let it).
- Try and identify what is most important to me at the moment and focus on that.
- Write down what I want to accomplish and check back frequently to be sure I am still on track.
- Record my progress as I am working so I can see clearly how things are going and what isn’t working.
- Accept the fact that I can’t do everything and that it is better to do a few things well.
What do you do to stay on track? What would you add to my List?
