Stay Focused and Finish Your Tasks

It is quite easy to get distracted and end up way behind schedule.  There are so many things that can pull us away from what we are doing, and you end up wondering what it is you started out to accomplish and where all the time went. Don’t beat yourself up. It happens to everyone.

Have you ever left work and wondered what you actually did that day?  Worse yet, you get to work the next day and the same projects are sitting on your desk, is there a worse feeling?

When you have this happen to you, you need to stop and take a deep breathe and get back on track.

Confucius Says…

“If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.” It’s an old saying, but it still rings true today.  Sometimes we bite off a little more than we can chew or end up allowing ourselves to get distracted and achieve nothing.

Self enrichment has these tips to ensure that you stay focused on what you are supposed to be doing: 

1. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Distractions are a part of life, but you cannot fall victim to them.  You must maintain your focus and stay away from all of these little pratfalls.

• Stick your cell phone or turn off your ringer.
• Close your blinds and put up a do not disturb sign.
• For some people music gets them in a groove, others tend to think they are in the band themselves and start playing air instruments.  If you are the latter, turn it off and get back to work.
• Make your private office exactly that, PRIVATE.

2. Establish priorities. We all have our own unique ways of getting things done and you need to do exactly that when you are faced with multiple things that must be done. 

Set your priorities in a way that works for you. Some people like to get the big assignment out of the way early while others feel better knocking out all the small ones first to show progress.  Figure out what works best for you and stick to it.

3. Make sure everyone respects your time. It is natural for everyone to think that their time is more valuable than someone else’s.  Keep that in mind when your co-workers keep trying to drag you away from your desk.  Your time is just as valuable as theirs and you need to let them know that.  After all, you are going to be the one who hears it from the boss when your assignments are not done on time.