Focus on one thing at a time...
PHOTO CREDIT: RALF GEITHE
Email...Phonecall... Presentation...back to email...Read the document...Meeting...Back to email... Presentation...
What was I doing again...?
How often have you found yourself bouncing around from one task to another? It is a constant issue in our daily working lives as we have really helpful technology to bombard us with so many things to do, to fix, to address. No wonder we are all jumping around from one to next, not really doing anything really well or focusing on that key job that needs doing.
I am the first to admit, I am not perfect in this area, I am the queen of attempting to multi-task, and sometimes it works (usually when I am working from home where the interruptions are easier to control), but most of the time it is a total failure...
I am like a pinball, bouncing from one thing to the next, not quite doing anything at 100%, just about getting by.
Your brain can't flip as easily as you think from one task to the next and the constant moving, so I try to do the following to keep me on the path to productivity:
Review and prioritise your to-do list at the start of each day: review your task list at the start of each day, work out what has to be done that day and put that at the top, no avoiding.
Don't fill your day to the brim with tasks: there will always be something that will distract you or a more urgent issue that pops in to take some of your time
Put time into your diary every day to focus on emails: email can be really distracting and time-sucking. Put in a regular meeting in your diary to block out time to review your emails, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Be strict, don't let people eat into it unless it is absolutely necessary
Set a timer on your phone to focus on a job for a specific period of time: this is a great way to focus yourself on getting that job done that you really don't want to do. Set a timer and after say an hour you can take a break, treat yourself to a cuppa and biscuit or a cheeky look at Facebook.
Set the phone to silent: unless you are a doctor on call or a customer service rep then switch your phone to silent while you are doing a job that you need to get your head around and focus on. Calls can wait
Plan in your breaks: your productivity is only as good at the time out you give yourself, plan in lunch, tea stops, a walk across the road to the sandwich shop, anything that can be used to refresh you for the next task
Give them a go, trying one at a time so as not to overwhelm yourself, but I hope they will help. I am still not perfect, but at least I am more productive...