Hello 2013! It's been a week already and it feels like just yesterday we had our friends over, were watching the ball drop, playing games, and hoping 2013 would be better than 2012.
In my last post, I descsribed how I feel like my battery needs replacing. It's true. I'm tired and exhausted and am "one of those people" who need check boxes. I like to finish things. I don't like leaving things "almost" done – or in many cases *honestly* – "almost started."
I have "almost started" cleaning the garage.
I have "almost started" organizing my tools.
I have "almost started" any number of things.
This week I have worked hard to break intertia.
Inertia – Noun – A tendency to do nothing, or remain unchanged.
Ouch. How many times have I sat by and done nothing because I was too distracted. Or lazy. Or "busy" or a million other excuses.
How do you break inertia? Here are a few things I'm trying – and I hope they help.
- Block Calendar Times
- Let's be honest – it's usually the tyranny of the urgent. If I don't schedule date nights with my wife, we'd never go out. If I don't schedule time XYZ, we don't do PRQ. Right? So, I'm trying something new – I'm going to schedule times to focus on the things I need to focus on. I'm starting with 2 days a week.
- Remove Distractions (as best as you can)
- I work in an open office. At a technical consulting firm. There are a dozen or so people in the office at any time. Some days there are more. Within 30 feet of me are Nerf guns, a putting green, a fridge full of Diet Coke, technical gadgets, and some good friends. It's easy to get distracted. I'm going to have to get new/loud headphones, or go offsite to focus. One thing I'm going to have to get better at is adjusting my Lync presence to DND (Do Not Disturb) when needed 🙂
- Bite Size Chunks
- I have no focus. I can rarely spend large chunks of time on anything. I need to walk around. I need to tweet. I need Diet Coke. And, of course, with as much Diet Coke as I drink, I will have to wander to the potty. Often. I have the bladder the size of a pregnant gerbil. And I have ADOS – Attention Deficit Oooooooh Shiny! Anyway, what was I saying? That's right. Bite Size Chunks. I am trying to find a 60-90 minute "burst of energy" in which to focus. It's hard because I'm distracted. Squirrel!
How about you? What do you do? How do you stay focused and clear and get done what needs to get done? I'd love to hear from you.