Midway transformer fire
Woman not guilty after rant
Shroom shop told to close
Canada's most-wanted list
Sask. will still get rebates
'Cheap political points'
Santos ends comeback bid
Douglas C-54 plane crashes
Trump's 'eyes and ears'
CN Rail profits fall 
Tesla's Q1 income tumbles
PepsiCo beats Q1 forecasts
Iginla off to Europe
Rockets ink prospect
Leafs even series
Lawsuit accuses Megan
Bam Margera’s tour axed
Seinfeld: movie biz is 'over'
Let's face it, it is very easy to become distracted in this world and frankly technology has a lot to do with the problem.
What is your routine when you first wake up in the morning?
For me, I try and empty my email inbox and it is at this exact point that I lose focus. A mentor once said to me “Will what you are doing now matter in five years time?”
Photo: Contributed
Frankly, 95% of the email I look at have nothing to do with the direction and the focus I should bring to each day, but it is amazing when my focus should be on a small 5% of my inbox how I can end up spending hours with the 95% that I really need to put a lower priority on.
Perhaps you have found the same thing.
The next pit of unproductively is social media. It is a plague in our society. There is a very productive side to it but frankly, I don’t need to read and open a photo of a distant third cousin who is showing the world of social media how he just ate a bacon sandwich. I am happy for him, but will that knowledge “matter to me in five years”? The answer is a resounding, NO.
People who know me, know also that I can handle a lot of concurrent tasks as a Keynote Speaker and Venture Partner with Dutch Oracle - I can promise you I have a lot on my plate. Add into the mix the responsibilities of an Armoured Reconnaissance Officer in the Reserves, a shareholder in multiple ventures, the founder of a charity, husband, father etc and like all of you, the list is pretty long.
So how do we keep focus?
Here are some tips:
- At the end of the day review completed and outstanding tasks and define a list of priorities for the next day.
- Delegate what you are confidently able to do to someone you trust to finish the job.
- Work on one thing at one time and finish the task.
- Take frequent breaks - even to fill your coffee cup.
- Participate in some form of daily physical activity - the brain works better that way!
- Find a productivity tool that you enjoy and use.
Regarding point 6 - there is no point in having a digital task manager if you don't use it and revert to pen and paper. Pen and paper work best for many people and do not require power. Find what works for you and commit to using it. Whether it is the latest CRM system, an App like Evernote or a pen and paper… just make sure you use it.
Finally:
- Learn to say no more often.
Enjoy the extra time and increased productivity.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
