Every time you stop for a distraction, it takes you 8 to 20 minutes to refocus and get back to where you were before you got distracted. Every time. Distractions are a common problem in most workplaces, and are an especially pesky problem for freelancers, solopreneurs, and others who work from home.
It’s time to take charge of those distractions—and just in time for the New Year. This month on The Branding Spot, we’ll be focusing on, well, focusing!
3 Steps to Fixing Focus
Here’s a really simple way to deal with those constant distractions and achieve the level of focus and discipline you know you have inside of you. (…if it weren’t for all those distractions, right?)
1. Discover your Distractions
Make a list of your day-to-day distractions. If the list isn’t coming to you off the top of your head, simply write a list of distractions as they occur over the course of a few days.
2. Plan a Focus Fix
For each distraction on your list, create a corresponding action that will help you avoid that distraction in the first place.
3. Nip it in the Bud!
Use your new Focus Fix to eliminate your distractions, before you even have the chance to get distracted.
Note: Your Focus Fix for each of your distractions might be different than the possible solutions listed below. The trick is to find a way to address each of your distractions individually with a specific action that either helps you cut out the distraction in real time and/or prevent the distraction in the first place.
Let’s Try It!
Distraction – Email: “I check my email as soon as (and every time) my computer alerts me of a new message in my inbox.”
Focus Fix: Instead of acting like Pavlov’s dog every time you see that Inbox (1), resolve to check your email only during specific times. The number of times per day and when you check your email are up to you. What’s important is that you maintain your emailing schedule. The rest of the time? Close your browser/email program. Same goes for Facebook!
Distraction – Family Interruptions: “My husband is always interrupting me while I work from home. Sometimes he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.”
Focus Fix: Provide your family members with a visual cue that means Do Not Disturb! (Unless in case of emergency, of course.) If you have your own office, this might be as simple as closing the door during your hours of peak productivity. If that’s not an option, buy some earphones and stick them in when you’re not to be bothered. You don’t even have to play music if you don’t want to, but the earphones will block out some sound while providing your family with an easy-to-spot busy signal.
Distraction – Housework: “Working from home means I’m always tempted to clean up, put something away, or even throw in a load of laundry while I work.”
Focus Fix: Make a rule not to do housework during work hours. Think about it: if you were working in an office, you wouldn’t be scrubbing the floor or doing laundry in the middle of the day, right? Treat household tasks as the distractions they are. Sure, you can throw in a load of laundry on your lunch break, but don’t take it out of the dryer until your workday is officially over.
As I said, you don’t need to use my Focus Fixes. For example, if you have young children, while you may have some of the same distractions, my Focus Fixes may seem a bit unrealistic. Instead, try to find Focus Fixes that works best for you and your working situation.
Now stick to your Focus Fixes and develop an efficient work schedule around your downtime and your distractions. You’ll see your productivity soar!
Check out this previous Branding Spot post on Finding Your Focus Fix with marketing and design specialist Luke Mysse. Stay tuned for many tips and tricks on how to stay focused as we continue our December series on Focus at The Branding Spot!