Seven Tips for Staying Focused at Work by Kate Lorenz,
CareerBuilder.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems like "multitasking" is the name of the game
in the business
world, and most people tackle many projects at a time
daily. Even if
you are just working on one project, think about all
of the other
interruptions you handle. With all of the e-mails to
answer, voice
mails to check, pages to return and instant messages
to reply to, it's
a wonder how anyone gets any "real" work done!
If you are starting to feel like you can't do quality
work because you
are always being interrupted, you probably need to
learn how to focus
during the work day. Here are seven ways to stay
focused in a world of
constant interruptions:
1. Create some "unavailable" time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's great to be that person co-workers can come to
with questions,
but it can also keep you from getting your own work
done. Give
yourself some time to be unavailable. Close the door
to your office
and put up a "do not disturb" sign. Block out time on
your schedule
and let others know that you cannot be disturbed. If
you work in an
open space, go to a conference room where you won't be
so easy to find
or rearrange your desk so your back is to your
co-workers. Put on a
pair of headphones. Even if you don't listen to any
music, wearing
headphones can send a message that you are not
available to talk.
Finally, learn how to say no. You don't have to
apologize or
over-explain. Just let your co-workers know that you
do not have the free time to help right now. Any good
teammate will
understand.
2. Resist the urge to read and reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are your friends and family sending you messages every
hour? As
tempting as it is to read all e-mails as they arrive,
resist the urge
and keep working. Set up a separate personal account
and only check it
at home.
If you would rather have just one account, limit
yourself to certain
times of the day for reading personal messages, such
as lunchtime. And
get in the habit of automatically deleting junk
messages. Trust us –
the story is false, the deal is a hoax, and you will
not have seven
years of bad luck if you don't forward the message.
3. Turn off your instant messaging program.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instant messaging programs are extremely popular these
days, but they
can be a real focus-killer in the office. If you have
an instant
messaging program installed, set it to indicate that
you are away or
busy during the workday. Tell your friends you can't
chat and that you
will get in touch with them the "old-fashioned" way
later – via the
telephone.
4. Plan your phone time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Using the phone is necessary for most people, but
there are ways to be
more efficient with this business tool. First, plan
important calls by
writing down your key points and questions you need to
ask. This will
decrease the number of times you have to call people
back. If you have
caller ID, don't answer calls from unrecognizable
numbers, and use
your voice mail to screen your calls. That way you can
call back those
you need to at a better time.
5. Take a breather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you so frazzled that your head is spinning? If you
have way too
much going on, it will be impossible to focus. Take a
few minutes away
from your desk to clear your head and re-focus. Take a
walk, stretch
out, do some office yoga, or just sit with your eyes
closed and
breathe deeply for a few minutes.
6. Write it down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you just need a visual reminder of your
tasks to stay
focused. Make a list, or several lists, to keep you on
track. Put a
dry-erase board next to your computer where you can
periodically look
up and see how you are progressing. This will keep you
focused and
give you a sense of accomplishment every time you
cross an item off
your list.
7. Get organized.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is much more difficult to stay focused when your
desk is a
cluttered catastrophe. Spend some time in the morning
to clean up your
work space. Keep important files close by and put old
information
away.
Throw out things you don't need, and get the games,
funny pictures and
other time killers out of your immediate sight. This
will free up the
two hours you probably spend every day looking for
files or searching
for your favorite pen.
--
Regards
Anantha Narayanan.T.L
CareerBuilder.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems like "multitasking" is the name of the game
in the business
world, and most people tackle many projects at a time
daily. Even if
you are just working on one project, think about all
of the other
interruptions you handle. With all of the e-mails to
answer, voice
mails to check, pages to return and instant messages
to reply to, it's
a wonder how anyone gets any "real" work done!
If you are starting to feel like you can't do quality
work because you
are always being interrupted, you probably need to
learn how to focus
during the work day. Here are seven ways to stay
focused in a world of
constant interruptions:
1. Create some "unavailable" time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's great to be that person co-workers can come to
with questions,
but it can also keep you from getting your own work
done. Give
yourself some time to be unavailable. Close the door
to your office
and put up a "do not disturb" sign. Block out time on
your schedule
and let others know that you cannot be disturbed. If
you work in an
open space, go to a conference room where you won't be
so easy to find
or rearrange your desk so your back is to your
co-workers. Put on a
pair of headphones. Even if you don't listen to any
music, wearing
headphones can send a message that you are not
available to talk.
Finally, learn how to say no. You don't have to
apologize or
over-explain. Just let your co-workers know that you
do not have the free time to help right now. Any good
teammate will
understand.
2. Resist the urge to read and reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are your friends and family sending you messages every
hour? As
tempting as it is to read all e-mails as they arrive,
resist the urge
and keep working. Set up a separate personal account
and only check it
at home.
If you would rather have just one account, limit
yourself to certain
times of the day for reading personal messages, such
as lunchtime. And
get in the habit of automatically deleting junk
messages. Trust us –
the story is false, the deal is a hoax, and you will
not have seven
years of bad luck if you don't forward the message.
3. Turn off your instant messaging program.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instant messaging programs are extremely popular these
days, but they
can be a real focus-killer in the office. If you have
an instant
messaging program installed, set it to indicate that
you are away or
busy during the workday. Tell your friends you can't
chat and that you
will get in touch with them the "old-fashioned" way
later – via the
telephone.
4. Plan your phone time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Using the phone is necessary for most people, but
there are ways to be
more efficient with this business tool. First, plan
important calls by
writing down your key points and questions you need to
ask. This will
decrease the number of times you have to call people
back. If you have
caller ID, don't answer calls from unrecognizable
numbers, and use
your voice mail to screen your calls. That way you can
call back those
you need to at a better time.
5. Take a breather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you so frazzled that your head is spinning? If you
have way too
much going on, it will be impossible to focus. Take a
few minutes away
from your desk to clear your head and re-focus. Take a
walk, stretch
out, do some office yoga, or just sit with your eyes
closed and
breathe deeply for a few minutes.
6. Write it down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you just need a visual reminder of your
tasks to stay
focused. Make a list, or several lists, to keep you on
track. Put a
dry-erase board next to your computer where you can
periodically look
up and see how you are progressing. This will keep you
focused and
give you a sense of accomplishment every time you
cross an item off
your list.
7. Get organized.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is much more difficult to stay focused when your
desk is a
cluttered catastrophe. Spend some time in the morning
to clean up your
work space. Keep important files close by and put old
information
away.
Throw out things you don't need, and get the games,
funny pictures and
other time killers out of your immediate sight. This
will free up the
two hours you probably spend every day looking for
files or searching
for your favorite pen.
--
Regards
Anantha Narayanan.T.L