Eliminating distractions to get into the zone

stamp-2022909_640By Wendy Dessler

It’s really hard to be productive these days. We are constantly experiencing distractions throughout our day, which makes getting into the zone seem nearly impossible.

If it’s not one thing it’s another. We have to deal with clients emailing us for status updates all day long. Our phone doesn’t stop ringing. And Facebook keeps letting us know that private messages and new posts are continuing to build up unchecked.

How do we navigate the age of distraction to improve productivity?

Well, it certainly isn’t easy, but it is possible if you are willing to focus, follow a few tips, and work hard to get and stay in the zone.

Use time blocking to your advantage

At this point, we all seem to have a huge to-do list that doesn’t seem to get any shorter. Why drive yourself crazy with this massive list that you know you’re never going to get done?

Sometimes a to-do list isn’t enough. Instead, we have to begin focusing on a concept called time blocking.

By blocking out certain amounts of distraction free time, we are creating a guilt free, productivity driven environment during the day that will allow us to get into the zone.

How do you accomplish time blocking? Well, grab your entire to-do list and add it to your digital calendar, time tracking software, or physical date book if you haven’t fully embraced managing your day on the computer.

By adding this list to your calendar or favorite piece of software, you can literally have a date and time scheduled to work on each assigned project or to-do item. By scheduling these tasks on your calendar, you will take it more seriously and you’ll work hard to get things done without being distracted.

Focus on your most important tasks first

When you really think about it, we usually only have a couple of important tasks that we absolutely, positively have to get done each day. So it makes the most sense to focus on those tasks early so we can get them done and out of the way.

By working on our most important tasks first, and making them a major priority, we realize that the only way to plow through these to-do list items and get them done is to turn off all of our distractions and allow ourselves to get into the zone.

When you start focusing on the most important tasks early in the day, you will see massive improvements in your overall work and personal life. By taking care of everything that is important early, you will alleviate stress and have a lot more free time available to take care of the little things that we all need to get done during the day that always seem to take up so much of our daily calendar.

Do yourself a huge favor and create a distraction-free environment, turn off the phone and email and social media sites, and focus on your most important tasks and get them out of your hair as quickly as possible at the beginning of the day.

Wrapping it up

Unfortunately, we all have to deal with unexpected distractions throughout the day. This is unavoidable because customers, employers, our kids, our spouse or significant other, and anyone else you can think of are going to need our help.

That’s why it’s important to focus on the important things early and do your best to work in a distraction-free environment by minimizing outside influences.

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Wendy Dessler is a super-connector with OutreachMama and Youth Noise NJ who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition. You can contact her on Twitter.

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