Unless you're a Buddhist monk, you face distractions every once in awhile that minimize your effectiveness in getting your job done.
The internet is especially disrupting with email, messages, status updates, and more. But distractions also include co-workers, family members, and our wandering minds. It seems that we dawdle our lives away 5 minutes at a time.
The big question is how to beat this habit. How do you utilize the Internet constructively without falling victim to its distractive features?
Consider turning these methods into everyday practices that help you be more efficient and effective:
1 . Use time limits. If we set a time limit, we enhance our ability to focus. It turns into a game of 'beat the clock'. Ideally, you should use a timer and limit your work times to around twenty five or fifty five minutes - with a five to ten minute break in between tasks. If a task is going to take longer than fifty five minutes, cut it down into smaller parts.
* Having a time limit also pushes you to do the most essential parts of any work. If you only have one hour, you're going to have to decide what's most significant. This is much better than choosing to simply work on something until it is done. Determine how long it should take, and then set the timer.
* If you have any sort of attention challenge, using a timer may increase your capability to keep your mind on the task at hand. Time flies by, and you will get more done. You are more likely to even find it comforting, since you'll be focused on what you are doing rather than thinking about twenty other stuff.
* Research has shown that the most effective schedule for many people is:
o Fifty minutes of work o 10 minute break o Fifty more minutes of work o Thirty minute break (You may not be able to get away with a 30-minute break at the office, but it's a good time to get up, walk around, and get a drink. ) o Repeat
* Time your own breaks. If you decide to check your email or perhaps do one of those other tasks that seem to magically go from 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more, utilizing a timer will serve as a reminder. It will also force you to only check on the most essential stuff.
2 . Close everything that can be closed. Anything on your computer which isn't necessary for the task at hand must be closed down. If you do not need the web, turn it off. That includes all your email, notifications, games, and blogs. Close your door and disconnect the phone, if possible.
* Nothing is going anywhere - it will all still be there when you are done. One of the keys to being more efficient is removing the stuff that make us less useful.
3. Insert a pause, as needed. When you initially implement these routines, there will be periods that you will have an incredible impulse to check your email, Facebook, or Twitter.
* Before you succumb to the need, take ten seconds and pause. Take a long, deep breath and ask yourself if you really want to waste your time on something that is basically meaningless, or if you'd rather accomplish something worthwhile.
The capability to concentrate has been largely lost for most of us. However , these easy routines, which anyone can do, can go far toward improving your focus and efficiency at any job.
It's likely to be difficult at the beginning, but you can do it. You may get more done, quicker, by learning to improve your focus and staying away from things that waste your precious time.
Set these three habits into play starting today. You'll be impressed by just how much more you can get done!
The internet is especially disrupting with email, messages, status updates, and more. But distractions also include co-workers, family members, and our wandering minds. It seems that we dawdle our lives away 5 minutes at a time.
The big question is how to beat this habit. How do you utilize the Internet constructively without falling victim to its distractive features?
Consider turning these methods into everyday practices that help you be more efficient and effective:
1 . Use time limits. If we set a time limit, we enhance our ability to focus. It turns into a game of 'beat the clock'. Ideally, you should use a timer and limit your work times to around twenty five or fifty five minutes - with a five to ten minute break in between tasks. If a task is going to take longer than fifty five minutes, cut it down into smaller parts.
* Having a time limit also pushes you to do the most essential parts of any work. If you only have one hour, you're going to have to decide what's most significant. This is much better than choosing to simply work on something until it is done. Determine how long it should take, and then set the timer.
* If you have any sort of attention challenge, using a timer may increase your capability to keep your mind on the task at hand. Time flies by, and you will get more done. You are more likely to even find it comforting, since you'll be focused on what you are doing rather than thinking about twenty other stuff.
* Research has shown that the most effective schedule for many people is:
o Fifty minutes of work o 10 minute break o Fifty more minutes of work o Thirty minute break (You may not be able to get away with a 30-minute break at the office, but it's a good time to get up, walk around, and get a drink. ) o Repeat
* Time your own breaks. If you decide to check your email or perhaps do one of those other tasks that seem to magically go from 5 minutes to 30 minutes or more, utilizing a timer will serve as a reminder. It will also force you to only check on the most essential stuff.
2 . Close everything that can be closed. Anything on your computer which isn't necessary for the task at hand must be closed down. If you do not need the web, turn it off. That includes all your email, notifications, games, and blogs. Close your door and disconnect the phone, if possible.
* Nothing is going anywhere - it will all still be there when you are done. One of the keys to being more efficient is removing the stuff that make us less useful.
3. Insert a pause, as needed. When you initially implement these routines, there will be periods that you will have an incredible impulse to check your email, Facebook, or Twitter.
* Before you succumb to the need, take ten seconds and pause. Take a long, deep breath and ask yourself if you really want to waste your time on something that is basically meaningless, or if you'd rather accomplish something worthwhile.
The capability to concentrate has been largely lost for most of us. However , these easy routines, which anyone can do, can go far toward improving your focus and efficiency at any job.
It's likely to be difficult at the beginning, but you can do it. You may get more done, quicker, by learning to improve your focus and staying away from things that waste your precious time.
Set these three habits into play starting today. You'll be impressed by just how much more you can get done!
About the Author:
Become a person that learns the habits to enhance focus, recognizing the importance of improving concentration as ingredients for a healthy life.
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