Have You Had it With Distractions?
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Free PDF Download Productivity and the Rubber Band Effect - By Joan Friedlander |
Focus: remove distractions so you can concentrate on the task or project at hand.
What do "The Secret," "The Dip," "Think and Grow Rich," and "Good to Great" all have in common? Techniques to help you focus so you can have what you want. What's the enemy of focus? Distraction. What's makes us susceptible to distraction? Lack of confidence, questionable purpose, insufficient goals, low-grade filters, chemical disturbances, and so on. It's not email!
If you suffer from the battle of distractions, you may take twice as long to reach your goals. This part is obvious. But what about the impact on your personal health, your energy and your level of confidence?
Common sense says that you can do a better job with anything you undertake if you plan for it, set aside time for it, and work on it in concentrated chunks of time without outside distractions.
Energetically, I imagine that being able to focus may come from the area of your body right behind your solar plexus. Back in the 90's, when I was dealing a variety of really nasty symptoms associated with Crohn's Disease, I read and reread Carolyn Myss' "Anatomy of the Spirit," and listened to her tape set, "Energy Anatomy." She points to the third chakra (right above your waist area) as the place where your strength of conviction lies. It's the source of your personal power and the place from which intuitive guidance arises when self-esteem is intact. If this is so, it stands to reason that If you don't have a strong core, if you're not able to stand firmly in your power, you're more easily susceptible to outside forces in life...and it's harder to focus.
Oprah Winfrey was quoted in "The Power of Focus for Women" as having said, "Being able to disappoint others is crucial to reclaiming your life." I say it's crucial to regaining focus.
What's an Earthling to do? Where can you start if you're overrun by distractions? Following is a very simple formula for focusing. Each of these steps requires some time and attention. You might take a look at the steps and make note of the ones you have the most difficulty with and create a project commitment to improve your skill or capacity in this area.
- Plan
- Review your plan daily
- Align your projects and activities with your goals and purpose
- Be ruthless in the elimination of distractions
- Delay response to new opportunities with these 9 words: "I'll have to get back to you on that." Evaluate the opportunity against your goals and then reply
- Stop Multitasking! (No, women are not good at it.)
- Repeat
Of course, while writing this short article, I was interrupted a few times by unexpected requests, and by my own pull to check email. However, I was successful in limiting my engagement with email, putting some requests aside, and returning to the article as soon as I was done handling those requests I felt were important. Interestingly enough, it's a different article than the one I started 2 days ago. There's that whole go with the flow thing, too.
Take Action Now:
1. Review your goals and strategically plan every day.*
2. Schedule 1-2 tasks aligned with your long-term goals every week.
3. Identify 2 distractions that make it hard for you to focus. Eliminate 1 this month.
I leave you with this question based on a quote by Carolyn Myss, PhD., Anatomy of the Spirit.
"Given your particular body, environment, and beliefs, will you make choices that enhance your [objectives] or those that drain your power into the physical illusion around you?"
Your answer to this question may very well determine your ability to focus. It's not about email.
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Free PDF Download Productivity and the Rubber Band Effect - By Joan Friedlander |
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About the Author: Joan Friedlander RSS for Joan's articles - Visit Joan's website Joan Friedlander is the founder of Lifework Business Partners, an international coaching and training company that offers services to men and women who are compelled to reconstruct a business, or career, that has been (temporarily) devastaed by a personal health crisis. She is also a published author of two books, that latest of which is Business from Bed: The 6-Step Comeback Plan to Get Yourself Working Again after a Health Crisis (Demos Health, Dec. 2013). Visit http://www.JoanFriedlander.com for information about programs, resources and products. What happens to your business or career once you've experienced a health crisis? The 6-step comeback plan in Business from Bed, based on Friedlander's personal experience redesigning her career after a Crohn's disease diagnosis, and her work coaching hundreds of business clients, provides exactly the kind of tips, tools, resources, hope, and encouragement needed during this challenging time. You'll receive valuable advice on how to put a business/career back together in new ways that are satisfying, sustainable, and mindful of your health. Click here to visit Joan's website. Are You Prepared for Success What Does it Really Mean Work on Your Business 5 Steps of Effective Delegation Have You Had it With Distractions Are You Making the Most of the 8020 Rule |
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