5 Ways To Eliminate Distractions For Success In Your Business

By 

Theodore Henderson

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“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”

~ Steve Maraboli

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You know the sensation of the anticipated accomplishment to come. You have prepped yourself to swing into action and begin crossing things off your to-do list. Your list is “2 miles long,” and it just keeps growing. And, lastly, you’re in the ideal frame of mind, and you’re ready to fly. How?  You’re finally ready for real workable strategies to eliminate distractions for success.

You have diligently prepared to “bang out” your list, and you’re 100% anticipating that sense of respite and satisfaction you’ll have at the end of a genuinely full but productive day.

• Then the phone buzzes– it’s a text.
• Your laptop computer “rings, pings, or dings” with a brand-new email.
• Your phone illuminates up with a new Slack message.
• A worker or colleague walks up to your desk with a critical question.
• Your phone rings– it’s a social or other no work-related call.
• You feel sluggish and now need a cup of coffee.
• All of a sudden, you need to utilize the restroom.
• You’re beginning to feel like you need a snack or lunch.

The whole morning is wasted before you know it, and you don’t have anything to show for it.

Sadly, distractions are one of the leading performance killers. You have several things coming at you, and many of them keep you from focusing on the real priorities.  This is why the majority of us who want to profit from our business or do well in our career need strategies to eliminate distractions for success.

The truth is abundantly simple.  While you’re hectic with these diversions, you’re not, in fact accomplishing anything.  So how can you remove these diversions and get to the most crucial things?

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Here are five strategies to eliminate distractions for success.

(Time to get focused and back on track.)

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Strategy # 1: Make Plans the Night Before

Making plans the day prior or the night before can be a convenient technique to help you stay concentrated on the crucial items on the following day. In other words, it sets you up strategies to eliminate distractions for success.

You don’t need to layout every choice. However, make choices about easy to identify things that might be interruptions during the day.

For example:

● What clothes you will wear for the day

● What lunch or dinner you’ll eat

● The way and route you’ll get to work

When you’re sleepy or sluggish in the morning, these choices are most likely going to be more challenging to make and can easily inhabit your thought processes.  The result will be needless delays even if you work from home.

You can likewise set a rough schedule on your own. For instance, you may decide that you will not examine your email or respond to text messages till you have completed two essential jobs. From 8 am to 10 am, you’ll focus entirely on a specific job.

Oh, by the way, I use several of these above tips and they work.

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Strategy # 2: Limit Social Media & Social Networking

It’s now approximated that many individuals are spending 2 hours and 22 minutes daily on social media based upon one report I read. That’s a remarkable statistic if you’re attempting to reach current and prospective customers. But a dreadful one for performance and productivity.

Yes, social networks can be a necessary resource for marketing and sales, however…

• You are continually inspecting your individual alerts.
• Wasting time to react to various Twitter (or other social networking sites) streams and rants
• You’re ceaselessly scrolling through pictures on Instagram.

This list is longer than this but you get the idea.  None of these behaviors is going to benefit your company.

Social networking is a black hole and a significant time waster. Personal alerts and social media interaction, in general, can be incredibly addictive and wasteful.

Here are some methods to help you manage the activity of your social networks:

● Set time frames for when you’ll go on social networks– for example, between

12 pm – 1 pm and 5 – 6 pm.

• Use built-in tools like FocusMe, “iOS Screen Time,” and “Android Digital Wellbeing” to keep an eye on or prohibit social media usage on your phone.

• Turn off all non-business-related alerts, so you’re not feeling the consistent pull of “dings, pings, and rings” sidetracking you.

Utilize your company’s social network accounts to engage with genuine consumers or clients, tweet about your latest products, and post stunning pictures. After that, put your smartphone (or “dumbphone”) away and focus on your other tasks.

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See our Recommended Business Tools section for suggested ideas.

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Strategy # 3: Create And Maintain Boundaries

If you are a knowledge worker or office worker, you’ll need to field some essential calls on any typical workday. There might be some communication boundary lines required for your workday; however, you will need to set aside others.

Offer yourself periods throughout your day when you do not check your phone, emails, or Slack messages (or any collaboration messaging tool).

Some entrepreneurs choose the morning to respond to emails and engage with clients on social networks. Others pick to focus on their list of tasks before producing new assignments introduced by new messages.

Choose the flow that works best for you. However, guarantee yourself that you will stick to it. It’s essential to set times of the day when you’re not in continuous contact with outside disturbances.

If possible, it’s likewise a great plan to leave at least one day a week free when not booked for a conference or meeting. This can offer you a free day to complete unfinished tasks and remain productive.  These are my “administrative” days.  You will be shocked at how effective this approach is to help you eliminate distractions for success.

Strategy # 4: Create a Productive Area

If you’re operating at home or in an office space, it is essential to design a space where you can feel efficient. 

Efficiency and effectiveness will equal productivity.

To put it simply, if you were productive in a specific physical space, your brain will be open to being productive there once again. You’ll associate that location with the good feeling that you had the last time you were able to “crush it” at work.

If you have a specific space that you relate to relaxation and entertainment– perhaps the living room, game room, or where the TV is– you’ll want to do the fun stuff when you are in that area.

Keep your fun locations, and your offices separate to make your workspace favorable for work.

If you desire that your work environment promotes work, keep it tidy. A chaotic or untidy space will sidetrack you. Even if you do not feel like you have to clean it up, the poor organization and clutter will keep you from getting to your tasks.

To help keep your work environment uncluttered and tidy if it has a door, then use it to shut out diversions when essential.

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Strategy # 5: It Can’t All Be Work

While there are a couple of compelling individuals who are genuinely all work and no play, the majority of people aren’t put together that way. We’re not really meant to be that way.

Psychiatrist Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Play Institute, understands the value of taking some time to play.

In his book “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul,” he says, ” The fact is that play appears to be among the most advanced techniques nature has actually developed to enable a complex brain to create itself.”

The act of play opens a person for creativity and eases us out of our heavy burdens. Some workplaces like Google have even built areas at work for “playtime.” These spaces are designate to help cultivate the imagination and ease tension in the workplace.

Dr. Brown likewise discusses in his book:

” … there is a sort of magic in play. What might seem like a pointless and even childish pursuit is ultimately helpful. Ironically, a little bit of “nonproductive” activity can make one enormously more productive and invigorated in other aspects of life.”

Most human beings grow irritated, disappointed, and ineffective when they drive themselves to work continuously and not enjoy life enough. This is an approach that is eventually untenable.

There are many things that an entrepreneur or business owner can do to combat this:

1. Make work satisfying. Find methods to make the things you do at work pleasurable and interesting as opposed to drudgery work.  Admittedly this can be more doable as an entrepreneur rather than an employee.

2. Plan to have breaks during the day. Take a stroll around the building, eat an excellent lunch, or take a coffee break.

• It might appear like these things are distractions on their own. However, when paired with super intense work sessions, they are merely something to work forward to.

3. Select a time to stop work. Select a part of the day to put work aside, and that’s it. It’s imperative to have actual time set aside in the day to give attention to loved ones.

• It’s likewise essential to engage in relaxation, play, and leisure. This offers you time to recuperate from the day’s work and begin fresh the next day.

4. Take some time off and go on holiday.  Make a plan for particular times of the year to be non-working time. Enjoy your relationships with others and discover methods to have a good time. Set aside the phones, emails, and messages and focus on the other things in life that matter to you.

You may never have the ability to eliminate all distractions; however, limiting them can significantly improve your chances of success. Minimize social media, limit interaction, and make time for play, and you’ll quickly see that your productive segments are a lot more successful.

Vanquish Your Monsters and Dragons

The final strategy we will focus on is prioritizing your day-to-day work. While it’s easy to start the day with low hanging fruit, like email, the most productive business owners focus on getting their most important job done first.

Professionals always suggest that you slay the monster (the most formidable job) first.

Mark Twain stated, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your task to eat two frogs, it’s best to consume the most significant one initially.”

Honestly put, tackle the most demanding things before you do anything else.

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What do the various research studies say?

How does this theory compare to reality? Does it genuinely make good sense to do the tough things initially?

In 2017, Harvard Business School launched a working paper called Job Choice and Workload: A Focus on Finishing Easy Tasks Injures Long-Term Performance.

The study reviewed in the working paper was carried out in an emergency room area in an urban hospital. They “put together their data from the emergency room area or department for twenty-four months in 2006-2007 involving over 90,000 different client encounters.”

The study intended to discover how starting with much easier tasks versus more demanding jobs may affect efficiency and productivity.

The study concluded that completing more manageable tasks does create a short-term sense of fulfillment, but it can negatively impact long-lasting efficiency.

The study describes:

” By selecting the easier job, a person gets work done quicker– and most likely feels good doing it. Nevertheless, by picking the more difficult task (expedite), one produces a chance to learn. Although always picking the harder job may be suboptimal, if one continuously picks the simpler or easier path, then longer-term efficiency suffers.”

Put another way, and a short-term victory feels good at the point in time. It makes a person feel efficient or effective when they accomplish something.

Nevertheless, since they are not pressing themselves to discern, learn, and overcome the more difficult tasks, they’re limiting their potential.

Not just that, however, the study found that the physicians who continually chose the more manageable tasks first were less lucrative to the healthcare facility in the long run.

Put That Plan into Action

However, only you understand your most tough or complex tasks; however, do your best to handle those tasks initially. Strike early and go for the first thing in the morning when you’re at your most energized. Even if your difficult tasks don’t take you the longest, they’re going to take a lot more effort.

As the day goes on, your ability to focus diminishes. Your determination might break down, and you’ll wish to prevent your work and put it off up until the next day.

If you choose your most challenging jobs first, you’ll have the ability to complete the day up with your most effortless work. That sensation of high performance from easy jobs will help propel you into the next day when you’re ready to kill your dragons once again.

Productivity Remains in Your Grasp

The “delicious fruit” of productivity is well within your grasp. You desire that excellent feeling of efficiency, and it’s entirely in your control.

The four foundation strategies in this book are actionable concepts that you can

begin today:

• Foundation Strategy # 1. Develop a system that works for you. Make it viable and continue tweaking it for the best results.

• Foundation Strategy # 2. Get up early in the early morning, prepared for the day while the remainder of the world snores.

• Foundation Strategy # 3. Cut out the many diversions that derail your work instead of boosting it.

• Foundation Strategy # 4. Conquer your most demanding tasks in the beginning. Later, delight in the fruits of your labor with a much more comfortable afternoon or night.

Your brand-new and efficient work-style will help you live that comfortable and satisfying life that many people are seeking.

At the end of the workday, you can put your work aside and invest in the relationships in your life that are most meaningful. You can rest easy knowing that you provided your best shot and put in a productive and productive workday.

Special Success Bonus for Independent Professionals 

Top 10 Performance Tips to Eliminate Distractions For Success.

As a self-employed expert, freelancer, independent contractor, or online entrepreneur your income depends upon your ability to stay efficient productive consistently. Nevertheless, it’s all too common for a work session to become a blogging session or YouTube video binges. These distractions undermine your bottom line by decreasing your output significantly.  Therefore you must develop or have go-to methods to eliminate distractions for success.

If you have trouble staying focused and tuned in to the job for an extended period of time, start using the ideas listed below to skyrocket your productivity:

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1. Keep social networking to a minimum. Prevent inspecting your accounts a number of times per hour. Social network marketing can be crucial to your organization, but checking your Twitter, Facebook, or other social networking messages frequently, and often do, can squander hours throughout the day.  If you want to eliminate distractions for success you can start here.

– Put a limitation on the number of times you permit yourself to inspect your messages each day. Check for any brand-new messages in the morning, during lunch, and in the evening prior to bedtime. That way, social networking keeps its proper perspective instead of taking away from your personal life.

2. Preserve a tidy, uncluttered office. A chaotic area can trigger a psychological block that can last numerous hours. Ensure that your work surface area is clutter complimentary and that any unneeded documentation is tucked away. Utilize file cabinets, storage boxes, and bookcases.

– Prior to you shutting down your workplace each night, take a couple of minutes to clear any clutter. Simply taking 5 minutes of maintenance every day can make a considerable contribution to the calm you feel as you launch each new workday.

3. Specify your “checking out hours.” If you operate out of your house, you’re most likely knowledgeable about the aggravation of family members popping into your office to chat. Make it clear that when you’re working, non-emergency interruptions must wait till your arranged break time. Hang a “Do Not Disrupt, Disturb, or Interrupt” sign on your office door to keep disruptions at bay.

However, if you work from home, and your workspace is set up in an extremely hi traffic location, try noise-blocking headphones to eliminate the distracting annoying sounds around you. Separate your workspace with a drape or a bookshelf to maximize your privacy.  Do what you can to make it separate from the normal activity.

4. Clear all interruptions. When you’re dealing with your project or job, it’s easy to let your mind roam. You can easily avoid this by implementing software to obstruct sites understood to trigger lulls in your productivity. And disregard calls that are not associated with your business activities while in the office.  Once again FocusMe is an excellent organizing tool for you.

– As long as you’re prompt in returning your business calls, it’s perfectly acceptable to send a customer’s call to voicemail. Save even more time by offering email as your main point of contact. Often, you could minimize a 45-minute conversation to a couple of concise emails back and forth.

5. Make your health a top priority. To keep your mind healthy, preserve an appropriate workflow, make use of sensible options, and look after your body. If you do, you’ll have dramatically more energy to tackle your business, and more will get done. Keep away from heavy, fatty foods. Exercise regularly and ensure you receive the right amount of sleep each night. 

See www.TheHealthyBusinessOwner.com for great health ideas and strategies for busy professionals.

– For most satisfactory results, workout in the morning before beginning work. It’ll offer you an energy shock that’s better than coffee and enhances your mood without any crash later.  Not getting sluggish or overtired is a basic way to eliminate distractions for success.

6. Operate in spurts. Many independent specialists find it most optimal to operate in sets of 15 to 45 minutes. Resolve this time with no bathroom breaks, phone calls, or time-wasting Web browsing.

– After finishing your spurt, take a short 5 to 10-minute break and begin working on your second spurt of continuous work time.

7. Take regular breaks. Once you start on a job, it can be easy to lose track of time and ignore breaks. However, short, routine breaks are necessary for the efficiency of your work and your general health. Take a five-minute break every hour in order to maximize your energy and effort.

– Step away from the computer system on a regular basis to prevent recurring tension injuries like carpal tunnel, backaches, and eyestrain. No law says you need to be at your computer when it isn’t necessary

8. Work according to your custom schedule. You’re no longer a member of the rat race. For that reason, if you aren’t reaching your productivity peak throughout the 9-to-5 schedules, change it up a bit.

– Numerous freelancers discover that they’re most efficient in the early morning hours of 6 am to 12 pm. Or, if you’re a night owl, transform those sleep-deprived nights into “cash” generating hours by cranking out some work.

9. Design a comfy workspace. If you have to become a “hunchback” to fit into your desk, pain in the back and discomfort will prevent your efficiency. Invest in furnishing your office with an ergonomic desk and chair that are the ideal height for you. Keep away from bright wall colors that distract you from your work.  These are fairly inexpensive these days.

– Cooler tones are perfect wall colors for a workplace area. They promote efficient thinking and relieve your eyes.

10. Visualize your benefit. Inspire yourself to increase your performance by envisioning how excellent you’ll feel once the project is done. Envision financial benefits. Enjoy the pride you experience when your hard work is justifiably praised. Picture how your family will benefit from the success in your job.

– For lots of people, cash is the most significant incentive. Develop a wish list on your preferred shopping website, and purchase an item on the list each time you complete a  project or achieve a critical, challenging goal.

As an independent professional, you can work at optimal capability. You have control of your time, and these concepts will help you make the most of it. Choose several of these ideas today and start to experience the personal, business, and monetary success you deserve.  You now have the tools to eliminate distractions for success.

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Thinking of how best to do your online business & marketing? 

See our Recommended Business Tools section for suggested ideas.

***

Additional References – Eliminate Distractions For Success

• Working Under Pressure Skills
• Turn Your Passion Into Your Business
• 20 Productivity Management Strategies
• Create High Productivity Entrepreneurship
• 9 Tips For Adjusting To Working From Home
• Why You Must Create Peak Productivity and Performance

About The Author

Theodore Henderson works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate professionals on their business skills, marketing, and leadership strategies. He is an Amazon best-selling author, a Certified Career Coach, Business Skills & Leadership Coach, and a Certified Social Media Security Professional Powered by CompTIA.

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Visit The Wisdom4Business Blog for the complimentary series on business startup and entrepreneurship.

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Also, visit TheHealthyBusinessOwner.com for timely and useful tips and strategies for living a healthier lifestyle.