Getting er done is not rocket science. It is about doing the important stuff and
ignoring the unimportant stuff. This may seem obvious, but too many people allow distractions during their productive, work time. Avoid these things until after your work is done or you’re on break time. If you do these during break time, make sure you set a timer.
1. Social media. Yes, I know, you need to market yourself and be friendly with friends, colleagues and customers. You also need to set aside specific times of the day to do this. Treat this as a business task too. It should be fun and entertaining, but it should not interfere with your work time. Plan those times as part of business building, even if you view it as fun time.
2. Avoid distractions. This is easier said than done, but many people distract themselves by thinking they can take a quick peek at email or Facebook or something else. Do not do this until the allotted time.
3. Don’t let others distract you. If you have a friend who thinks they can text or call you at anytime during the day, be sure to silence your phone so it doesn’t distract you. Close your instant messenger programs. Do not set it to busy or go invisible. If you do that, it’s still in the back of your mind that someone may be on the other end and you need a quick chat with them. Or, they will ignore the busy sign and send a message anyway. There are also people who send offline messages even if it looks like you’re not online. They don’t know you’re invisible but their message still gets to you and distracts you.
4. Only use reference and research websites during work hours. If you must open your browser to do some research, then only do the research and close the browser. Do not allow yourself to get tempted to do a quick check of email or social media.
5. Don’t drop everything because a friend wants a spur of the moment lunch with you. This falls under the above tip of turning off your cell phone. Yes, spontaneity can be fun, but it also has its place. People need to know that you can’t drop everything for their whims. This is especially true if you work from home. If you start allowing these minor instances, it will only get worse and they will think they can interrupt you any time they please.
Start actively focusing on your work tasks and mentally prepare yourself to stop allowing distractions to take over your day. This is your business you’re trying to build or run. Don’t let anyone or anything interfere with it during your work time. It will pay off in the long run if you get super focused and control the distractions in your life.
What do you do to make sure you get er done? Leave a comment, I read them all.
Phoo – Flickr:DailyPic












