please stop playing distraction hopscotch

On Friday I was playing distraction hopscotch. It’s not a game I enjoy.

All day I went from one distraction to another. Never actually accomplishing anything.

OK, that’s a lie.

Let’s reword that!

Never actually accomplishing anything on my OWN priority list.

Ever have days like that? A sales manager I spoke with told me (with a heavy sigh) “My whole week felt like that.”

Here are the three changes I’ve made to my schedule based on my frustration:

1. build in time BETWEEN appointments for distraction.

Inbound requests – tangents – demands on time aren’t going away, they are inevitable. Instead of resisting or ignoring it; build in time, so you can still get to your own priorities!

2. be clear on inclusive vs. exclusive time on your calendar.

Inclusive time = is the idea that you will NOT spend any more than X amount of time on a task.
> researching or forecasting could be considered inclusive activities.

Exclusive time = blocks out all other activities than the one you’ve scheduled.
> meetings with clients and employee performance reviews would both fall into exclusive time.

3. know your priorities!
> each day and week will have different things that are important, be sure you’re clear on what your priorities are and schedule time for activities that will move you in the direction of your goals.

I hope these tips help you stop playing distraction hopscotch. Even more, I hope they work for me!