Improvement

3 Tips to Avoid Distractions

I used to joke that if you wanted my dorm room, house or office to be spotless give me a deadline that I didn’t want to meet. In an effort to avoid meeting the deadline, I would do most anything, including cleaning anything and everything. Of course, eventually, I’d have to meet the deadline and I’d have even less time to do so, although I would have a neat space.

I now employ a few tricks to force myself to focus. I’m using one of them right now as I work on this blog.

1. Set a time limit. I’ve procrastinated all day writing this blog — and not because I didn’t want to but because I couldn’t figure out which topic I wanted to address. Finally, I picked one and employed this technique. I now have 45 minutes to write, edit and post the blog.

2. Play a CD. Sometimes when I can’t motivate myself to tackle a house project — whether it’s actually cleaning the house or cleaning out a closet — I’ll pick a CD and work until the CD finishes playing. I get to enjoy my music and often get lost in the tunes and before I know it the project is finished, and almost always before the CD has finished. If, by chance, I still have work to complete on the task, I am now motivated and will continue — usually with another CD. I also will listen to a few songs while I clean out e-mails. It makes the task much more enjoyable.

3. Promise yourself a reward. Sometimes the task is just not something you want to do. In that instance, I promise myself a treat, which ranges from a Starbucks to dinner out with friends depending on the challenge of the task.

How do you help yourself to focus?

 

Are You Standing Still, Or Are You Growing?

What have you done outside of work to make yourself better over the last two or three years?

That’s a question that Seth Besmertnik asks of interview candidates. Besmertnik, who was being interviewed by Adam Bryant for his New York Times column, “Corner Office,” said, “How people spend the time when they’re not working and when they’re not sleeping is the biggest indication in my mind of what they want in life.”

It’s a question I ask myself frequently. One thing that has helped me for the past two decades is my involvement with the National Federation of Press Women. Through that organization, I’ve developed my event planning skills, my networking skills and my leadership skills. The next conference is in Utah, and if you are a communicator, it’s a great time to get involved. If you already are a member and have not been to a conference, why not make this the year you do something to help your career? As a first-timer, you can apply for a grant to have the registration fee covered.

You can also learn new skills by taking online courses. One of my favorite places to learn is Lynda.com, which allows you to participate in tutorials on thousands of software subjects for a small fee. A one-month membership is $25 or you can sign up for several months or a year and access close to 1,000 courses 24/7. I’ve found the courses helpful for improving my skills in PowerPoint and Excel and for learning the basics of new technology.

Another way to improve your skills is to volunteer. One of my colleagues is a graphic artist and she volunteers those skills to help an animal rescue organization. I’ve been learning more about the world of publishing by volunteering at my local library to coordinate a writers’ series.

You could also pick up a book. I try to read four to six books related to my profession each year. I’m doing better now that I participate in a book club at work that is focused on leadership. Once a quarter we read a book and discuss it. We just read The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner.

The adage “If you aren’t changing, you’re standing still” is more true than ever. I ask again, what have you done outside of work to make yourself better?

Routines Help Eliminate Stress

Every day I make hundreds of decisions. We all do. What should we eat for lunch? Should I return the call now or later? And then there are the complex ones on the job.

I often tell a friend of mine when we’re deciding where to eat: “You choose, I can’t make another decision.”

Sometimes I don’t have to make any decisions because I do the same thing over and over. Some people would call it a rut. I call it a routine that eliminates decision making. Each morning I eat vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of Chobaniwheat germ. I buy individual containers for each day of the month so I don’t have to make the decision to grocery shop more than once a month for them, nor do I have to decide first thing what to eat.

I take the first 30 minutes of my work day to review my calendar and answer any critical emails that came in overnight. Then I tackle the most important item for the day. I don’t have to decide when in the day I’m going to work on that because I’ve already done it.

Many years ago I read a book in which the author (I think it was Alexandra Stoddard) recommended choosing one color – black or blue – as the staple of my wardrobe. I chose black. Now I never have to decide or hunt for the matching socks, belt or handbag because I own no navy and don’t have to worry about choosing incorrectly.

I was reading Vanity Fair recently and chuckled at a comment by President Obama, who, it turns out has simplified his decision-making about suits.

“You need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day… You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make. You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.”

Routines cut down on decision-making which allows us to focus on the important things – whatever they may be.

Small Goals Equal Big Success

Recently while in Ecuador some friends and I took the TeleferiQo, which is a gondola that takes you up the east side of Pichincha Volcano. When it deposits you, it still leaves plenty of hiking to do. The catch was that we were above 13,000 feet and oxygen was in short supply, and we were short of breath.

This sign was one of many small goals we set as we hiked.

This sign was one of many that we identified. Reaching it became a small goal.

We saw where we wanted to get to but the distance seemed great. Rather than giving up, we set some small goals. We decided we would at least walk to the first sign that talked about the altitude. At a minimum, we deserved to know how high from sea level we were. Then we decided to make it to the trash can.

We had a series of mini goals and as we reached each one, we gasped for oxygen and cheered ourselves. Before we knew it, we had reached our final goal. Success!

Reaching those small goals kept us going. Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer address that idea in their book, The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work.” “Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.”

It’s why professional organizers recommend cleaning out one drawer or one closet instead of tacking the entire room. Once you’ve experienced the success or organizing and decluttering one space, you’re ready to tackle the next one.

The same advice applies in my fitness efforts. I know how many days I should work out each week and month for my optimal fitness. Sometimes, though, I’m so worn out that the number overwhelms me. However, when I only focus on the next workout, I’m almost always able to complete it, and I feel terrific afterward. More importantly, I’m ready for the next one.

As long as I’m making progress – putting one step in front of the other – not only am I going places but I’m succeeding!

What are your small goals?

A Year of Gratitude

Sometimes focusing on a few details is better than looking at the whole picture.

That lesson can apply to so much in life, whether it’s the big project you have due at work, the house that needs a good spring cleaning or a photography project.

It’s one of the lessons I took away from my photo of the day project in 2012. There are many such project outs there. Some people look for letters in architecture. Some people photograph a menu each day. Mine was simple: 365 Days, 365 Photos.

I haven’t taken a photo since Dec. 31. It feels weird but I wanted to give myself a break. I suspect I’ll still be taking lots of photos but even if I don’t it’s okay because now images are captured in my mind.

I did learn much from my project, including:

  1. I still have lots to learn about photography. I worked hard to capture good images, but I didn’t always succeed. I sometimes ended up with some blurry photos. And you know what? That’s okay because life isn’t always clear.
  2. I definitely was more observant. I learned to look at the big picture – the sweeping vista of a vineyard in Tuscany, for example. I also looked at the details, such as the green olives on the trees that bordered the vineyard.
  3. I smiled more because I was more aware of my surroundings and the simple pleasures of life. I noticed the tiny details – the grace notes – of life.
  4. Even on the most challenging days, if I simply paused, there was much to be grateful for and this project helped me to remember that.

I’ve collected all the photos in a PowerPoint presentation. One slide, one day, one photo (although sometimes multiple photos). When I look through the photos, I realize that nature is a good thing, and I need to spend more time in it. I came to appreciate when the sun set and rose and the different phases of the moon. I was aware of the different cloud shapes.

I didn’t photograph my friends, but rather the experiences we were having, such as book club, dinner out, a walk, shopping.  It led to one of my realizations, which is that I’d rather have experiences than possessions.

Most importantly, I learned I have lots for which to be grateful.