My biggest struggle is to keep focused. I start one thing and go to another. Plus the phone and computer waste a lot of my time.

Thanks for your input.
Mary Coalson

Here’s my answer

Mary, you are not alone! In fact, I also naturally have a problem staying focussed and yet this is my top productivity tip so I have a few tricks I use which I’m happy to share with you:

1. Eat the frog
I choose only a few things to do every day but I make sure they’re important tasks that will move me toward my goals. And here’s the important part, I do nothing else til those tasks are done. And then I reward myself.

Some days (like weekends) it’s as simple as laundry, cooking and getting us set up for the week ahead and on the weekdays it could be working on an important work project.

I’m hosting a Big Juicy Goals teleseminar tomorrow so one of my big things tomorrow will be preparation for that teleseminar.

2. Remove distractions
Different things distract different sorts of people. I’m not too bothered by the phone because I simply turn mine to silent and check messages and voicemail when I feel like it (once or twice a day, when those Eat the Frog tasks are complete )

Email, however, is a big problem for me. I’m insanely curious so I have to close down Outlook and have nothing else open on my computer except the task at hand.

3. Use a timer
No need to get fancy; a simple kitchen timer will do. When I’m at work, I can’t really use a kitchen timer (because then they’ll know I’m weird, instead of just suspecting ) so I use the timer on my cell phone.

Set the timer for a realistic time but not so long that you can’t concentrate. I like to work in 3 X 15-minute blocks and then I take a break unless I’m so close to finishing that I might as well work one extra block of time.

Over to you, dear readers – how do you stay focussed?