There’s no denying that working in the age of the internet has made tackling a to-do list of tasks much easier. Answers to every possible question are a simple search away and a seemingly endless amount of useful information is now at a person’s fingertips.
There’s one small problem with this arrangement. While the internet is a powerful connection tool, it’s also where everyone’s favorite distractions are usually found. Among the treasure trove of helpful blogs, videos and infographics, there are websites cleverly designed to steal our attention away.
The Age of Distraction
During a work day, checking every notification that pops up is natural. What if that ping on your phone is an email from your boss or a client updating their job requirements? Usually, it’s a social media site informing you that a beloved content creator has posted something new. It’s no wonder everyone is so distracted.
These pings are designed to be helpful and keep people connected, but for the most part, they end up bombarding us with a constant stream of stimuli and compelling reasons to step away from work for a moment of two. All this noise can lead to information overload, shortened attention spans and difficulty staying focused on the task at hand.
There are modern ways around this problem. Today, individuals can download and use apps designed to block out some of the incessant pings. A web blocker can turn these notifications off for a while and encourage a little more focus. Tools like this can be great for those times when a deadline is looming and a person can’t afford to lose their train of thought.
Some web blocker apps can also help by physically stopping a person from opening up apps like Instagram for a set amount of time. This removes that urge to open an app or website at all. They also allow people to block sites by keyword, so a person never accidently stumbles upon a site full of cat videos.
With temptation to glance at notifications stripped away, a person should be all good to get through their work day, right? For marketing professionals, it’s impossible to avoid logging on to social media sites during a work day. These places are where they make their living, after all. For their sake, let’s go over some other practical techniques individuals can use to stay focused and sharp in the age of distraction.
Embrace the Power of Planning
Ever find yourself jumping from tab to tab, forgetting about small details or feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks on your plate? You’re not alone. It’s natural to feel like there’s too much going on in the digital age. By embracing the power of planning, it’s possible to divide and conquer, so to speak, and make tasks feel more manageable.
Here’s how to transform your to-do list from a source of stress into a roadmap for success:
- Write it down and prioritize ruthlessly
To get rid of that overloaded feeling, start by getting everything out of your head. Get a piece of paper or pull up a notes app and jot down all your tasks. these tasks can be big or small and urgent or not-so-urgent. By listing everything that needs to be done and looking at it with a critical eye, it can be much easier to get an idea of what’s important and what isn’t.
With a list of tasks in hand, it’s time to use a prioritization framework like the Eisenhower Matrix or the ABC method to identify which tasks require your immediate attention.
- Schedule Like a Pro
Once you’ve got a good grasp of which tasks are most urgent, it’s time to schedule them into your calendar. As you’re drawing up your schedule, remember to block out realistic time slots for each task. Unexpected interruptions are always a possibility, so try to factor them in.
- Embrace the Power of No
Your time is a valuable resource. The ability to say no when your schedule is already full to the brim can help a person feel less overwhelmed. In fact, learning this magic word can actually make you more productive in the long run. By declining requests that fall outside your bandwidth or focus area, you can actively avoid compromising the quality of your work.
Reward yourself
We all know how much effort it takes to stay focused and successfully avoid the temptation of browsing sites like TikTok. So, managing to avoid distraction deserves some reward, right?. Rewarding yourself can actually be a strategic tool to fuel your productivity levels in the long run.
These rewards can be anything. Whether it’s a short walk to stretch your legs after sitting for hours, listening to an upbeat song on Spotify or enjoying a healthy snack, rewards can be serious motivation boosters. By rewarding yourself for getting a job done, you’re essentially rewiring your brain to associate focus with positive activities.
While rewards can be motivational tools, they should be used strategically. Aim for smaller, frequent rewards for completing a task well and on time. Don’t save them up. Use them often to help make work feel like less of a chore and more like an opportunity to earn something you enjoy.
Set up a dedicated workspace
Whether a workspace is in a bustling office or tucked away in a spare bedroom or study, it should be a nice space to exist in. Designated space is more than just a desk; with a little effort, it can be a haven for focused work. Giving this space the attention it deserves can help a person switch into a productive state with ease.
Our brains are hard wired to form associations between specific environments and specific behaviors. Bedrooms are set aside for rest, and the office kitchen is dedicated to coffee and gossip. By creating a specific area solely for focused work, a person can essentially condition themselves to associate the area with productive work.
When a person sits down to get work done, it should be easy to for them to shift gears and settle into a productive state. This doesn’t mean the space has to be boring or empty. Fulling up the space with objects that spark joy can make the area more inspiring, more inviting and less clinical.
Focus is a Practice
At the end of the day, the path to focus is long and winding. It’s an ongoing process and can’t be fixed overnight. These techniques won’t end up working for everyone, but they can be a good starting point. It’s a good idea to be patient with yourself, experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you.