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CAREER Look - A Distraction!! How To Stay Focused When Everything Is Pulling You Away December 28, 2017  By Joe LoeschVoice Actor, Producer, Coach It doesn't matter what kind of work you do: distraction can keep you from getting things done, whether it's electronic, internal or in person. Staying focused is not always easy to do - but success or failure hangs in the balance. Getting stuff done is imperative, and focus is the key. Here are 10 tips to help you stay focused and manage distraction: 1. Self Examination Internal distraction is as annoying as external distraction. If you find that you're all over the place, first look within yourself. What is the source of your anxiety? What should you be working on? 2. Identify The Cause … Fix The Effect Sort out your internal priorities, and find those external causes. Maybe it's your workspace setup? A dangling issue with a friend? Burnout? Ideas you haven't had time to work out yet? Perhaps something else you need to be doing? Identify the cause and fix the effect. 3. Preparation - The 10/1 Rule Be a good planner. Create a list of your objectives. Think about how you will complete each task that comes your way. Give yourself a timeline and write down all the steps (from beginning to end) it will take for completion. Apply the 10/1 Rule: Every 10 minutes spent in planning saves an hour in execution. 4. Go Offline Social media, email, mobile phones and tablets can be a huge distraction. Go offline for a while. It won't kill you. You'll be surprised by how much focus you will gain. Then you can go back online to see what you've missed. Chances are, you won't miss anything at all. 5. You Deserve a Break Today You deserve a reward. Taking a break every now and then leads to great work. When distraction sets in, take a break. This will allow you to focus more clearly. Short breaks allow your mind to have clearer vision. |
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