Technology trains us to crave distraction.
If you aren’t distracted now, you’re anticipating your next ding to chase.
Distraction delivers ankle-deep impact.
10 Ways to Defeat Distraction
#1. Set the tone of your day in the morning.
Wake up early enough to begin slowly. Reconnect with things that matter most. Every morning I notice my wife.
Read, pray, write, and/or set priorities.
#2. Set reminders.
Don’t keep checking your calendar.
#3. Use the 10-minute rule.
Don’t suppress urges. When you feel like chasing a distraction, wait 10 minutes.
#4. Limit the number of windows you open on your screen.
#5. Disconnect for two or three minutes several times a day.
The ability to disconnect is essential to being present.
#6. Schedule and protect white space.
#7. Prepare for your next appointment by disconnecting from the last.
Take five-minutes between meetings. The next person on your schedule deserves your full attention. If you can’t give it, cancel the appointment.
#8. Turn off unnecessary dings.
A ding is a drug.
#9. Delegate authority to people you trust.
When you delegate to an unreliable person, you create a dripping faucet in your head.
#10. Capitalize on personal rhythms.
Are you a morning person? Do what matters most in the morning.
Don’t waste your life doing ankle-deep work. Meaningful leadership requires eliminating meaningless activities.
Which distraction can you minimize today?
Read: Indistractable
Defeating the Beast that Contaminates Leadership and Dilutes Effectiveness
