Get Rid of Distractions

Whether we work in an office or at home, or are currently looking for work, there are many distractions vying to keep us from what we need to get done. Here are some recommendations I’ve made to my clients to circumvent some of these distractions:

• Give Yourself "Office Hours"- if you're a job seeker, set your working (i.e. seeking) hours and don't stray from them. The neighborhood gossip will have to wait. If you currently have a job, set time aside for project work and refrain from answering the phone or emails. If you need to, let people know the span of time you will be unavailable, and let them know why (hint- the best "why's" include what's in it for them, e.g. "so that I can be available to you, undistracted by pressing projects, I have set the morning as project time. That way, I'm completely available all afternoon")

• Batch Your Tasks- if you answer an email each time it comes in, no projects will get done. Plan a portion of time each day for emails, a portion for phone calls, and a portion for project work. This will streamline your efforts in all areas, making it easier to move through each "batch" and move on to the next one

• The Beauty of Boundaries- one of the biggest draws on employees' time (I can't tell you how many clients have complained of this) is other employees coming by their office or desk and distracting them. This may be social distractions or work distractions. Either way, it slows completion of tasks and projects. Be sure to let people know about your "office hours." And emphasize how important their issue is, so you want to be sure to address it when you are able to focus on it

• Make Your Life Meeting-Less- one of the other tremendous draws on employees' time (another complaint I've heard time and time again) is meaningless meetings. "Why am I here?" is a common question. Talk to your manager and state that you’re committed to completing the tasks entrusted to you and being available to support him or her in projects that come up. Then point out that of all of the ways you can be most useful to him or her, the X meeting doesn’t make the list, and actually gets in the way of accomplishing tasks. Request that, in order to dedicate your time to tasks which are going to advance the department's efforts and his or hers in particular, you be excused from that meeting

Distractions are a given. Falling prey to them isn’t. Identify the main distractions you face, decide to circumvent them, and choose an action that’s going to free you from them and build goodwill at the same time.