How to be Less Distracted
A simple time blocking technique.
To become more productive and effective at doing your most important work, focus on doing work that matters for a period of time without distraction.
And there is the challenge to our focus. We carry digital tools that enable nefarious people and companies to distract us at will. Of course, we can turn off notifications, but doing so means we also miss messages from people who matter to us.
While it may be easy for some productivity gurus to tell us to turn off notifications, that tip is far too simplistic.
However, you can become more intentional about your most important and intensive work. Instead of going to the extremes of turning off all notifications and deleting social media apps from your devices, you can control distractions a little less dramatically.
One example is to give yourself a two-hour block in the morning for deliberate, focused work on the projects and tasks that require your full attention.
When a surgeon performs surgery, she does not simultaneously reply to a WhatsApp message or check her Slack feed. She’s entirely focused on the work at hand. Once the surgery is over, she may respond to the WhatsApp message and check her Slack Feed.
Nobody will be upset and angry with you because it took you a couple of hours to respond to a message. Seriously, they will not.
If something was urgent, you would be phoned. We don’t communicate urgent matters by message. After all, we don’t check email or messages while driving, and everyone knows this.
The likelihood of receiving a message immediately after you start your focused work time is incredibly slim. So, nobody is likely to be waiting two hours or so before you respond.
If you find mornings particularly busy with meetings and other work, look for a time when things are less busy and block that time out for your focused work.
As your confidence grows, you can add another hour or two in the day for other work. When you can do this, that’s three to four hours each day when you are doing concentrated work, and that amount of time will produce remarkable results.
So, look for those pockets of time when you can turn your devices on Do Not Disturb and do the work that requires your full attention. The increase in the amount you get done will astound you, and you will soon be looking for more pockets of time.
If you'd like more time management tips (like this one) in your inbox, please do join my newsletter
Get a copy of my latest book, Your Time Your Way: Time well managed, life well lived.