Have you ever been distracted?
Of course, you have. The question is what distracted you, how you got distracted and the consequences of being distracted.
The dirty truth is that we can only concentrate on thing at a time. I know, you thought you were the expert in multitasking, right? Maybe when it comes down to walking and talking at the same time.
However, when it comes to something your “conscious mind” needs to process, multitasking becomes a myth!
What we consider to be multitasking is rapidly going back and forth from task or activity to another. What that means is that it takes longer to accomplish those tasks instead of focusing and giving our undivided attention and focus to one task after another.
That is what makes the laser so powerful. A laser is amplified and extremely focused beam of light.
I would like you to think about a current or past goal of yours. Whether it is a career/business or personal goal does not matter.
Are you or have you accomplished it as planned?
If the answer is “yes,” great! Just skip the remainder of this blog post and have fun.
However, if the answer is “no,” you may want to read the complete article.
I am not a mind reader, but I would reason that getting distracted once or twice, may be partially responsible for not accomplishing a goal on time.
What can possibly distract you?
I do not know what might distract you, I do know what I get distracted by.
Here are some examples you may be able to relate to:
Phone calls, text messages, other notifications that I “have to” read right away. And I use “have to” very lightly, because only I choose what a “have to” is.
How about thinking about the upcoming weekend, or trip. How about the adventure you had last weekend? Thinking about friends, family, etc.
And the list goes on. No wonder that sometimes goals take longer to accomplish than initially anticipated.
But it does not have to be that way!
Imagine setting a goal, staying (laser) focused and finishing on or even ahead of time!
The prerequisite is of course that it is a goal that can reasonably be accomplished over the given time.
Are you ready to be Just Like A Laser?
- Make sure your goal and the time you spend on accomplishing it is more important than any of the distractions that may come your way
- Break down the goal into smaller tasks with a precise beginning and end. This will help you measure your progress and gauge your results continuously, so that you stay motivated by seeing your results
- Focus on one task at a time, then move on to the next task
- Rinse and repeat
This is a quick overview, and I am not going into specific ways on how to improve Time-Management skills.
The bottom line is that we always have a choice on where and how to spend our time on.
Make it worthwhile!
