The other day I had great intentions. I had a list for home, a list from my office, and a personal list of a few things I needed to get done.
I had a plan, and it was clear…but by the end of the day, I failed. I completed very few items on the list.
What happened?
I got distracted or pulled into multiple directions; it's as simple as that.
So I ran across a few helpful tips I thought I would pass along…in case you have struggled with the same issue.
Here are six tips to help you win the day:
- Tell Your Smartphone to Dummy Up!
- There's nothing like a buzzing, beeping, or musical notification to pull you out of your zone. Noncritical notifications have their place, but not in your focus space. Turn them off. Or better yet, if you are able, consider putting your phone on focus mode for periods of time throughout the day.
- Stop Multitasking
- Science shows that our brains don't multitask. We switch from one task to another – usually without completing any to a greater or lesser extent. Choose a task, focus on it solely until completion or a stopping point before you put that down and switch gears.
- Take Control of Your Calendar
- To see how much you can accomplish in one day, take to-do's, email reading and responding, and myriad tasks and schedule them on your calendar. It will help you set realistic workday goals.
- Take a Break!
- Our minds aren't geared for hours of nonstop concentration. For many people, taking frequent breaks, particularly with some form of walking, preferably outdoors, can quickly reinvigorate the mind. Here at Stonegate, there is constantly somebody from our team taking a quick “loop” as we call it to have a moment of reset – stretching our legs and minds.
- Control Your Meetings
- Depending on your type of work, try scheduling an hour meeting for only 45 minutes. Committing to a shorter window of time can often force efficiency use of that time, keeping everyone more focused and hopefully accomplish just as much but in less time!
- Consider a Big 3 List
- Most of the time, both large and small tasks clutter our lists. We are tempted to check off the little things and leave the essential items for another day. Instead, consider writing down the three most important things you need to do that will truly make a difference each day and focus your morning time on those items.
I hope these quick tips help you as well, and I would love to hear some of your tips! Thanks for listening.
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