To do two things at once is to do neither.
–Publilius Syrus
Multitasking.
Hard to believe it’s been a problem since the days of Latin maxim writers (circa 100 B.C.) — but it’s true.
We’d like to blame technology for our hectic lifestyle. But we love to keep busy. If we’re idle for too long, we feel we must not be working. Let’s not forget computers, email, cell phones — we bought all these things with the promise of freedom & flexibility.
So, how’s that working out for you?
Our tools are not distracting us. It’s just our nature to be distracted.
It takes discipline to focus your energy on one task all the way to completion. But once it’s done, it’s done!
Here’s a 7-step process to bring focus to your day:
- Close off the outside world.
Turn off your cell phone. Unplug your land line. Close your email application. Log out of your messenger service. Hang a note on your door that you are preparing for an important meeting and need to focus until noon. - Choose your focus.
Identify THE most important thing on your ‘To Do’ list. Give yourself 5-10 min to debate this out. Try to make it something that you can really sink your teeth into. Something that will require complete immersion for 1-2 hours.
- Set your target.
Review the successful outcome of the overall project, then set a goal for noon today. How far can you advance the project today? What milestone, if completed, would feel really great?
- Plan your work.
Do a mini project plan. Bullet point the steps that need to happen to get to your noon goal. Don’t over complicate this part. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to identify all the steps to get to your lunch time goal. The noon time constraint will force you to keep it simple.
- Budget your time.
Estimate how much time each of the steps in your project plan. Use your watch or maybe even an egg-timer to stay within your time budgets for each step. Try to stay true to your budgets so you can keep the pace going on the project overall. Letting yourself get mired too much on one item is the danger. If you’re stuck, move on. You can come back to the tricky one later. - Dig In!
Pick the first item on your list and get started. Try to keep focused on the task at hand. Don’t worry about anything else other than completing THE thing your working on right now. - Wrap it up.
Give yourself 10 minutes before noon to wrap up the loose ends. You may be sooooo close and want to just finish it out. But now’s the time to put your ‘pencils down’. Step back and assess your progress. Make a note of where you ended and what your next action should be the next time you pick up this project. Now schedule your next focus session. Maybe you can’t get to it until Wednesday or Thursday. That’s fine. Just be sure to schedule it.
Did you get as far as you hoped? Did you let yourself get distracted? How many phone calls did you take? How may Web sites did you visit that weren’t directly connected to your target?
Good luck and have a great week!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Brown and Small Business Guru provide Coaching, Inspiration and Practical Advice for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs. Subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter at www.small-business-guru.com
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