Eliminate distractions to improve focus and performance

When it comes to the time to perform your task, it is imperative that you are able to focus. When you are able to focus solely on the task, you get into a flow which allows you to make rapid progress. By only focusing on one task at any time, you are able to give that task all your energy, ensuring that you do the best job that you can. When you fail to eliminate distractions, you cannot concentrate and focus properly, the task drags on and the quality of your performance can suffer. You are not able to think clearly so, procrastination and time wasting kick-in. Most people do not fully realise how much time they lose to distractions. Every time that they are distracted, they lose more time than the length of the distraction. For example, if your partner interrupts you for 5 minutes, not only will you lose the 5 minutes but you it will take you a few minutes to regain your focus on the task that you were performing. That is why it is so important to eliminate distractions.

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 4 Simple tips to eliminate distractions

When you monitor your time and your productivity, you can easily find ways to make quick but powerful improvements to your time management.

1. Don’t just copy others

If you want to achieve maximum productivity, you must make every effort to eliminate distractions in your environment.  When you attempt to remove the distractions from your working environment, bear in mind that what works for others may not work for you e.g. a former colleague of mine, Mike, works best when listening to music on his headphones. This approach is not as effective for me as I tend to get caught up in the music and lose concentration on the task i.e. the music becomes a distraction.

If you see a method which works for someone else and, you think that it might work for you; by all means, try it. However, don’t just assume that it will work for you. Monitor the change to see whether it does actually work for you. If it does, keep it; if it doesn’t, get rid of it.

2. Monitor your behaviour

The best way to identify and eliminate distractions from your work environment is to examine your own habits. Keep a record of your time management for at least a few days. Record what you were doing for each 15 minute period. It is important that you record this at the end of the 15 minute period, to ensure accuracy.

You may think that you know all about the habits that are most effective for you, and the habits that are causing you problems. In my experience, this is rarely the case. Most people are surprised when they analyse the results of their study.  The bad habits and distractions soon become apparent. Once you have identified your bad habits, you can start to eliminate them, one by one.

3. Forget about multi-tasking

If you are like most people these days, multi-tasking has become a part of your everyday vocabulary.  There may be a number of things which you need to do in one day, and you may be doing them simultaneously.  The big problem with multi-tasking is that there is no such thing. You cannot really focus on more than one task at any one time. What you are actually doing is rapidly readjusting your focus and moving between tasks but still, you are only focusing on one task at any given moment.

Every time that you change between tasks, it can take you a few minutes to get back into the flow of the task. If you are constantly chopping and changing between tasks, that results in a lot of wasted time each day. Every time that you change between tasks, you are effectively distracting yourself. Therefore, when you are considering eliminating distractions, you must consider the ways in which you are distracting yourself. That is why it is best to focus solely on one task at a time. When you finish that task, you can then move on to the next one. Taking this approach will enable you to make more rapid progress.

4. Beware of technology

Technology can be amazing. Some of the things that we can now do, because of advances in technology, would not have been thought possible just 10/20 years ago. However, technology is only useful as long as you control it and refuse to let it control you. If you allow them to, your phone and your email etc. will soon take over your life, reducing your productivity and increasing your stress.

Maximum productivity cannot be achieved if you are constantly being distracted. That is why, along with focusing on one task at a time, you should consider the following (not an exhaustive list):

• • Limit the number of times that you check your email
  • Turn your phone off, or switch it to voicemail during busy periods
  • Implement an F.A.Q. for questions that are regularly asked
  • Schedule periods of time where you cannot be contacted

When you study your working habits, you can see exactly how you spend time. It is much easier to identify the distractions which you need to eliminate. When you begin to eliminate distractions, you will see that you are better able to focus on the task at hand.  You will find that you can get the job done better, faster, and more effectively, without these distractions. Increasing your productivity and improving your performance is a life-long journey and commitment. There are many changes you will need to make upon the way but one of the easiest and, most effective, is to monitor your behaviour and eliminate distractions as soon as you identify them.

Stay focused and productive with The Modern Professional's Guide to Organisation and Focus.

Image credit: Chance Agrella