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Distractions are productivity killers. This post is all about how to avoid distractions and get more done!
But first, let’s acknowledge distractions happen. We’re all guilty of giving in to them (and that’s totally ok! Some days you simply can’t go go go and get everything you want done). I know I’ve found myself aimlessly scrolling Instagram when I have about a thousand things I should be doing.
So how can we avoid these pesky distractions and get more done?
By using a combination of these 5 helpful strategies!
Contents
Turn off alerts on your phone that don’t serve you.
A big one here is social media. I know it’s exciting to see when your post goes viral or you got a bunch of new comments. But is this instant and constant influx of notifications really serving you or is it sucking away your time?
When you have social media notifications enabled, you tend to open and look at them far more often. These apps are designed to then keep you on them once you are inside. Often you will find yourself aimlessly scrolling and then suddenly 30 minutes have disappeared… much to your dismay!
Even if being on social media is your job or a part of it, whether you are working with an MLM, you are blogging or have your own company, this is pertinent to you too. I challenge you to consider, do you need these notifications enabled? Do you need to instantly see every like, comment or DM? Would it be a more valuable use of your time to instead schedule in an hour to go on them and engage with your community, answer DM’s or create some new content?
Intentional use of social media is much more productive than spontaneous use. If you really feel like you need notifications, you might consider only having them on during your business hours, whatever those may be. Often us mamas don’t have 9-5 type hours, but it’s important to still have boundaries to protect your family relationships and prevent burnout.
Use time blocking to avoid distractions.
I’m a fan of “loose” time blocking. Basically, setting an intention or two for a period of time dedicated to work or the task at hand. This way you know where you are focusing your energy and you don’t waste time wondering which item you should attempt to check off your to-do list.
I have an entire post dedicated to explaining how to time block effectively. You can check it out by clicking here and grab a free time blocking printable too!
Try the Pomodoro method or a similar alternative to get more done.
Francesco Cirillo developed this amazing time management system designed to help you be more productive and more focused.
The basis of how it works is this:
You choose a task, set a goal and set a timer for 25 minutes. At the end of the 25 minutes you get up and take a 5-minute break. Then you start your next 25-minute increment, or pomodoro. You may or may not be switching tasks depending on your schedule.
At the beginning of the day you set your intentions and divide them up among how many pomodoro work segments you have for a day.
Let’s look at an example. On Monday’s I work for 4 hours. That’s 8 possible pomodoro segments, as each are 30 minutes total including the breaks. The first 2 are dedicated to contracted work. Depending on the day it may be design, editing, creation, etc. The middle 4 are split into work on my blog: (1) blog content creation, (2) emails, (3) social media engagement, (4) other small, quick tasks that can be lumped together. Finally, the last 2 are dedicated to Pinterest and research.
Pomodoro can totally be used for other aspects of life too. House projects, cleaning, errands… you name it.
It’s totally modifiable too. You can do longer or shorter increments and play around with it until you find what works for you. Sometimes when I have a longer project to work on and I know I can get in the zone, I’ll do a 50-minute timer and then take a 10-minute break at the end.
If you’ve been around here before, you know I don’t believe in saying there is only one way to do things. Pomodoro isn’t the be-all-end-all, but it’s certainly a fabulous productivity tool and place to start!
Batch errands & tasks.
This one is all about efficiency.
Kids or not, it’s much more efficient to run a bunch of errands at once than to get in your car multiple times a day or week and head out. You often end up driving the same route. It may not seem like a lot, but 5 minutes here and there can add up. Obviously it isn’t always possible to batch errands… but I highly recommend doing it as much as you can!
Similarly, batching tasks is a HUGE time saver too.
Imagine you like to have a muffin for a snack every day. You could make one muffin per day… and measure out all those ingredients and clean all those dishes every day… OR you could make a whole batch at once and even freeze some for next week. Which way seems more efficient to you?
Set 3 intentions for the day and focus on those.
To-do lists are overwhelming. They just are. They are miles long and never ending.
I’m a huge fan of brain dumping everything on my mind. Check out this thorough post right here on how to brain dump properly and leave overwhelm behind.
Once you batch your brain dumped items and delegate and delete what doesn’t matter, it’s so much easier to prioritize your top “to-do’s”.
Next, you can pick 1-3 per day and focus just on those. Anything extra you get done is bonus! You will feel so productive crossing off your top 3… and you’ll feel ultra productive if you knock a few extras out too.
Half of productivity is mindset, after-all… so using these types of tricks to feel productive helps you keep that momentum going.
Share the love and pin me for later!
Drop me any questions below! I love to chat all things productivity.
Xo,
Kinzy
You might also like:
How to brain dump properly and stop feeling so utterly overwhelmed
The ultimate productive mama printable bundle: free planner printables for moms
A realistic cleaning schedule for busy moms
The Pomodoro method really worked well for me during exams! Great tips.
I love your brain dumping idea. Very good ideas in this post!
I typically like batching. I’ve never heard about the pomodoro method but that seems like it may be helpful to me too. Thanks!
Distractions are a major drain on productivity and profitability. It is great to learn methods to avoid them.
Well I definitely needed this post to help me! Awesome content.
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