Three tips for removing distraction from your to-do list

Wow. It is September. How did that happen? Days can feel like weeks and weeks years and here we are 9 months into one of the strangest, fast-moving, longest-feeling years of all time. My head is spinning trying to take in the notion that fourth quarter is 3 weeks away.

As my head spins so do my actions. I do not feel focused on anything in my home life or work. I will not complete my child’s breakfast preparation because something else catches my attention. As I open my phone to check the weather, I find myself scrolling on Facebook or Strava, forgetting that the mission was to be able to answer my child’s question about rain in the forecast. I sit at my desk and go from screen to screen and not actually make progress. I’ll walk out of my office to refill my beverage and get distracted by pictures we printed to frame and then remember I’m supposed to do some laundry and on the way to laundry room see a bill on the counter that is due and go back to my desk and pay the bill, having skipped laundry all together. My mind wanders and I lose focus on the critical tasks I need to prioritize during my dedicated work hours.

Some might say it is procrastinating, but that would involve actively delaying something specific. I am not delaying anything specific. I simply cannot stop my mind and eyes from seeing shiny objects and shifting attention in that direction.

Being distracted feels like a constant item on my to-do list, written in big, bold ink. I know I am not alone. As we all balance work, remote schooling, pandemic anxiety, and the gazillion other things being thrown at us daily, distraction is common.  

There is much written about creating space to be focused. Turn off the notifications on your computer and phone and schedule the time on are your calendar are two common suggestions. Yet, with no notifications at a designated time, it is still easy to wander in thought and activity.

This must stop! We need to get distraction off our to-do lists. We all have much to accomplish and with under 4 months of the year to go, it is time to get clear-headed and focused fast. Here are three tips I have used to slow the distractions and return to focus.

1.      Do something that requires focus without much effort. Even if for only 30 minutes, start retraining your brain that it can focus. Some people meditate. I have a hard time sitting still so I use my morning jog to focus. It is easy to focus while jogging now that it is dark when I head outside. I use all my concentration to ensure solid footing and being seen by cars. Other activities I have used to work on focus are baking and playing a musical instrument. Those two activities require I be present in what I am doing, and my brain does not wander while I am actively engaged. It’s a good reminder to myself and my brain that it is capable of focusing.

2.      Write the distractions down. When you sit down to do some focus work, keep a piece of paper next to you and write down every distraction that pops in your head. The key on this is to not follow through with the distraction. Documenting what pops into your head, like check Facebook or organize photos, or repaint the room will force you to realize you are distracted and push you back to the focus work. Once you are finished with the focus work for the day, you can assess what is causing the distractions and add those items to your to-do list or realize that your shiny objects are not a required activity.

3.      Establish free time to be distracted. My child has free time at school. She can pick the toy or activity or just use her imagination. She can wander through that period of the day with no focus or direction. Create that time in your schedule so that you can do whatever you want at that time. Whether you clean up your kid’s toys or look at the photo albums you keep getting distracted by, you have the space to do the small random activities. Set a timer for your free time and when it goes off, you can get focused knowing you did the random activities with no consequence to the important tasks on your to do list.

Eliminating the distractions and staying focused on the critical tasks is not easy and not a one-time thing. We will all have those times when we find ourselves wandering around our home or office following whatever catches our attention. When that happens, use one of these tips for snapping out of it and regaining your focus.