May 11, 2008
Distractions as Triggers of Procrastination
By admin
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Many years ago, i used to study with a group of classmates on a weekly basis. We were only 4 or 5 regulars and 1 or 2 guests at every session and although at the beginning it seemed like a good idea, the results at the short term were annoying.
After the first exams with an overall score under 75% of achievement, we decided to analyze what was going wrong with the group. It could not be a matter of the frequency, though it would be almost impossible and very impractical to meet together every day.
After the deliberation among the members, we came to a simple conclusion: we were having a few distractions that were breaking the concentration. The main one was the radio, we always had it turned on during the study sessions and every now and then it used to gain the focus of the group, instead of the class material.
A term after, the results were amazing, with the whole group obtaining high scores in the exams. And, guess what? We were able to reduce the frequency of the session to only one every two weeks.
Since that life lesson, i have always taken into account the power that concentration and focus provides and the gains in terms of productivity as a result of turning off the distractions.
What is a distraction?
It is anything that makes you lose concentration or time on the desirable object of attention. Television, Radio, Games, Chat, Mobile Phone, SMS and many other things act powerfully to divert your attention and substract productivity.
Technically, even an apparently productive activity when not correctly scheduled - that is, being done in the inappropriate time of day - can become a distraction.
If you have set your goals for the day, and work intensely to reach them, anything that can set you apart from your aim is a distraction. And the result of letting the distractions do their work is simply procrastination.
Why is the procrastination so harmful to us?
Just because the procrastination throws the activities close or after the deadlines. If you have a project going on, then there is a schedule to be completed daily, and usually you will have more than enough time to fulfill
But, when procrastination comes into the scene, the delays and excuses will come together with it. It is easy to portrait the typical case of the desk workman, having lots of papers to be processed, and with the appearance of someone who always has something to do. Let me tell you something, at least 80% of the time, you are watching a Major League Procrastinator.
Procrastination destroys our real free time, as the procrastinator always - i said always - has a deficit of time. And the family and friends are on the pay off side. As a result, the procrastinator always seems tired and annoyed. It is also common that the procrastinator tends to feel that his/her job does not give them enough satisfaction and that the chances to be promoted has been unfair for them.
Finally, the procrastination is an enemy of productivity and as a result, a nemesis of success and happiness. As every bad habit, procrastination can be controlled and one of the easiest steps is to put the distractions away at once.
Keeping the Distractions Away from You
I won´t write a 5-tips-to-like section, as there are so many distractions out there that any list - every one of them - that could be produced, would lack a solution to more than half of the probable distractions ever to be accounted into.
What i would suggest - in general - is that you let be honest with yourself and produce a list (on paper or the computer) of whatever the like is making you lose the concentration and waste time.
The next step is to begin turning off the distractions as long as you need time to concentrate and behave productively. That is, put the mobile phone in low volume, update your MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk (or the like) to Absent, turn off the radio, tv, game console, mobile phone and stay alert and focused on what you need to complete.
The pay off for turning off the distractions is very high and you will find yourself with more spare time that can be INVESTED with your family. Forget about expending time with the family, start to be productive and INVEST it. But, that is the main topic of another post.
When a Distraction is not a Distraction Anymore?
It happens when you use your free time in an appropriate manner. Let me put it this way: i am on friday night and decided not to go out. Then MSN or Google Talk is ideal to establish contact with the beloved ones that live far away from me.
In the case of the mobile phone, if you need to make contact with the software provider during work time, to solve a problem, then it is not a distraction as much as a tool of productivity.
That is why i am totally opposed to ban the use of mobile phone, chat and other tools. Just because a tool can be used in an inappropriate fashion, you do not have to ban the use of it. The best solution is to make the employees be aware of the benefits of productivity and the habits of excellence.
Topics: Productivity |
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