I purpose to clear my desk today just like the plan I had last week, but when I looked at my computer I had over 287 messages in my inbox. My office manager came in and needed a blog post before the day was over and I had told her I would have it yesterday, but I got distracted. She then forwarded a call from a client calling for some information on a reduction in their workforce, another called shortly thereafter with a need to hire a manager of engineering. Then I happened to look at my junk e-mail and it had 112 plus new e-mails since yesterday. For some odd reason I have missed some e-mails which went to the junk lately so I needed to check for those that I might need to respond to. Oh, and as I was trying to write this my partner came in to chat about some things, he is working on in our leadership development portion of our business. And of course, I am an attentive boss and don’t want to not have an open-door policy. My cell phone rings from a friend in Idaho – I let it ring and will check it later this time. Sound familiar? So goes my day.
This morning I was with a client for an employee reduction and had a bit of free time between the notices so I caught up on some reading in a business magazine. Low and behold it was about this same issue and so I found my blog idea. Clear the way to more and better results by focusing came to mind. So here goes with some tips to help that I will take to heart. I asked my office manager to help me by closing my door, so the focus is working better already.
What’s wrong with multitasking? According to Dr. Edward Hallowell who wrote the book Driven to Distractions at Work says that “it’s neurologically impossible to pay attention to two cognitively demanding things at once”. If someone believes they can multitask, what they are really doing is shifting their attention in rapid succession from one event to the next, which ultimately causes each to suffer. Stop the multitasking or suffer the results is what I gathered from Dr. Hallowell’s thoughts.
How about screen sucking? Describes what I was talking about in the first paragraph. I just need to check my inbox right quickly, or junk e-mail box and then 45 minutes later you’re still staring at your computer. I told my wife I was leaving in just a few minutes to head home but checked the e-mail and…
How about Idea hopping? You know what I mean when you take a wealth of information that you have gathered, have been reading or listening to and then neglect to follow up with the information. I have a lot of great ideas floating around in my head that just floats away to never never land if you know what I mean sometimes. Go back and write down your thoughts on those ideas and then prioritize each one. The screen sucking will make this hard unless you commit to an uninterrupted time each day to just think and write.
What can I do about these distractions that probably only I have problems with? Make it a point not to be tempted to float from one idea to the next by writing down your thoughts (keep notebook handy) and prioritizing your thoughts. Technology needs boundaries, turn off the computer for a period of time, turn off your cell phone, and look for uninterrupted time for you to plan and think and dream.
Finally think about your health and well-being. Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise, spend time with loved ones, look at life as a gift each day. What you feed your brain will contribute to your success in any area.
Jim Elliott the famous missionary martyr said, “be all there wherever you are.” This quote challenges me to be all there each day. Wishing you the best to do the same.
Let me know how you handle distractions and stay focused on what is in front of you each day. My email is travis@cdpartnersinc.com and I will do my best to read and respond to you quickly.