ARE YOU EASILY DISTRACTED?
Do you feel like life is passing you by and you can’t keep up with your own demands and expectations of yourself as you have too many distractions?
Are you good at following through on what you want to achieve each day?
Do you wake up every day knowing what you want to achieve that day?
Do you go to bed every evening knowing that you gave your best that day?
Are you feeling overwhelmed or in Control?
Do you set realistic goals about what you can achieve each day?
Are you good at creating a ToDo list and sticking to it? Or do you tend to create the ToDo list and feel like you don’t achieve any of it? What are your distractions?
I notice sometimes when I want to achieve a particular task that I always find some distraction. For example; a few years ago I was studying for a degree and had a project to complete for the following day, and there was lots of work still to be done before I could hand it in.
So to avoid working on my project I distracted myself by spring cleaned the entire house!! I was nearly done defrosting the freezer when I realized I was just postponing what I needed to really be doing that evening.
I still ran this pattern even up until recently, where ‘stuff’ (eg. constantly checking iPhone, Facebook, Internet, house cleaning, social occasions etc) would get the priority from me rather than was I truly wanted to be doing.
I eventually was getting annoyed at myself especially at night when I did my daily review and thus my sleep was not as peaceful as I’d wanted it to be as my emotions and words I used towards myself were not where I’d wanted them to be after the review.
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING:
It’s easier to do it today, than delay for another day. I feel the energy I’ve wasted berating myself every day could have been used much more effectively.
I ask myself why I don’t really want to do the task? Usually when I procrastinate I was feeling overwhelmed, not really knowing where to start as I may not already be ‘expert’ or ‘perfectionist’ at it (unlike house cleaning! lol) so now I break it down to smaller chunks.
I’ve reduced the amount of items on my daily To-Do list to 3 items so I’ve a better chance of reaching them and thus feeling great at the end of the day.
If I get disorganized, nothing happens for me so I know that keeping my life and work area organized allows my mind to relax more, and hence get more creative and create more opportunities in life.
When setting about the creating of my daily To-Do list, I ask myself ‘What would make today a brilliant day for me’ and I complete my To-Do list accordingly. Also I ask, ‘What likely distractions do I need to watch out for today’?
Once I get started on the task that I was procrastinating about, I notice how much quicker and easier it was than what I had imagined when I am not distracted. I also feel less guilty for taking some more ‘me’ time if all my tasks have been achieved for the day.
I know I’m a night owl, therefore if there’s mental work required I put it later in the day rather than sitting at my PC at 8am and only feeling frustrated. When I start around 3pm in the day, like today, it just flows much easier. So I find I use my mornings to do any physical work. Notice whether you have more distractions in the morning or evenings? Which time of day suits you better for doing mental tasks?
Therefore to summarise how to have a brilliant day without any proscratinations:
- Every morning consider ‘What would make today a brilliant day for me?’
- Create your To-Do list from the three items that would make today a brilliant day for me. Therefore each day you have a shiny new To-Do list.
- Make the list realistic to the amount of time you really have available to you in a day, and ideally make it achievable which will then build positive energy and you will feel more motivated. (Any extra To-Do’s can be written elsewhere and can be done at a later time)
- Clear your desk and only have the 3 ToDo’s on a post it on your desk. This will keep you focused.
- As you are going about your day, ask yourself ‘is this task really important and aligned with my highest purpose’?
- If the task is not, ask yourself how it would feel to proceed with your higher aligned To-Do list now?
- If you still feel you can’t keep on track, then SHARE your To-Do list with your family, a colleague, a friend so they can keep you in-line until you achieve what you really want to.
- Also perhaps question ‘was it really important in the first place’?
- Towards the end of each day take a few minutes to review how your day was.
- Did you achieve everything on the To-Do list?
- Did you laugh and have FUN along the way?
- Did you get to spend time with yourself, and with your friends? Does your mind and body feel LIGHTER now that you are completing and creating what really makes you HAPPY?
- After a successful week, CELBRATE your ACHIEVEMENTS. This can be different for everyone so try to identify what would be your way of celebrating.
- Some suggestions are; going for a meal with friends, watching a movie (guilt free), doing some art, take the time out to do colour in some of the now popular Adult Colouring Books, going for a walk either solo or with someone special, having the time to really spend with those you love without a busy mind. I know for me I like to research and study – therefore I may spend a few hours reading with my feet up in the sunshine … ahhhh.
Let me know what distractions you have used to delay what you really want to do, and any tips you have found to get yourself back on track.
Also, If you feel you’d like to Get Organised, let me know and I will write more tips on this subject.
Wishing you a wonderful day.
Brenda.
