#10 Avoid Distraction in the Middle of Doing a Certain Task
“People often say that MOTIVATION does not last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.”
-Zig Ziglar
The truth is that we are always motivated. It is only the focus of motivation that is unstable. You may be motivated to do something today and may find something more interesting afterwards.
“Oh! I have ten minutes to kill, I’m going to check Facebook!”
Next thing you know, you get distracted and you end up not finishing what you are supposed to do. When you distract yourself for too long, distraction becomes your focus. Why is it that our best tools for productivity–computer technologies–are potentially also one of our greatest time wasters? Technology is made to make our life easier but it seems like we are controlled by our smart phones instead of US controlling them. These devices outsmarted us to the point that they can manipulate and divert our attention. If you let technology to continue draining most of your time, it will ruin your ability to get things done.
To avoid this, evaluate what distracts you most and remove it from your environment. If you get easily distracted by looking at your cellphone and checking your friend’s status on social networking sites, put your cellphone away from you while working. Disconnect from the Internet when you have to get something done. This means that we should not have Facebook, Twitter, email, or any other applications running in the background on your computer or smartphone while you are working. Shut them off.
You might say: “All work and no fun is boring!” Is it bad to look for entertainments sometimes? No. But if you start seeking these escapes every day, you’ll be hooked to these distractions and end up procrastinating. Better yet, use your spare time to your productivity at best. Perhaps, you can play mind games, exercise, and meditate, etc. Do anything that boosts your energy and health.
If you are really that easily distracted, you can use implementation intentions to keep yourself focused. Implementation intentions take the form of "If, then." "If the phone rings, then I’m not going to answer it." "If my friends call me to say we’re going out, I’m going to say no.”