One of the biggest obstacles to time management is distraction. Sometimes you do it yourself, in the form of procrastination. Other times, something comes up unexpectedly and you go off doing something else, never finishing the task you started before being interrupted. Use the following five steps to minimize and remove distractions.
1. Analyze your interruptions
If a person, thing or place is causing a lot of distraction, improve your situation by removing the object or going to a different place. Track all your interruptions for a week, once you know what’s causing them, you can use one of the next steps to remove it.
2. Don’t self interrupt
Find a clear place to work at. If you are working in a place with a lot of other things near you, you will get distracted easily. Computers are really tricky because you may need then to finish you work, but at the same you may be distracted by them. You can divide your work, if possible, in a way that you finish part of the work before even touching the computer. Remember, self interruptions happen mostly when you want to avoid doing something. You want to finish as much as you can before getting distracted.
3. Predict distractions
Of course distractions happen mostly at times when you don’t expect it. But there are times when you know someone is coming over, or that you have a meeting tomorrow. Include all these things when planning your day, by scheduling your work at a different time, to minimize distractions.
4. Learn to say no
If someone comes to you unexpectedly and asks for something that requires your time, saying no politely because you already have a lot on your plate is fine. Or you can tell them you will help them as soon as you are finished your work, and make a note of it in your schedule. A lot of time, others may not be aware that you are busy, as soon as you let them know, they are perfectly fine with it.
5. Finish it quickly
If the distracting task is urgent, take a few seconds to quickly make a note of your current thoughts before even looking up. Finish the task off as quickly as possible. Remember to go right back to your work as soon as they leave, don’t let the interruption distract you. And definitely don’t prolong the interruption yourself, by talking to them for longer then you need to.
If you find yourself being distracted because a task takes a long time to complete, and there are many possibilities of getting distracted from the start to the end, break it up into pieces. Finish one piece before letting anything distract you. When you finish one piece, you will be satisfied and be able to settle down and do the next part without being distracted.
