What you think is going to be a quick side task leads to a rabbit-hole of wasted time. Without discipline, a few of these small diversions can take over hours of your day.
- That one email you are going to read… only to find yourself 200 messages deep in your inbox.
- The one website you are going check… which leads to an hour of web surfing.
- That one thing you are going to do… that takes you away from your work for the rest of the morning.
“Little tasks aren’t always so little… and small distractions can disrupt your entire day.”
So, how do you prevent these small distractions from taking up all your time?
Here are 5 Tips to Prevent Little Tasks from Disrupting Your Entire Day:
1. Put the Important Things First
Make sure you put your essential tasks first. Prioritizing your work is key. You can’t do everything in a day, so make sure you do the critical work first.
2. Single-Task
Multitasking may sound great, but it isn’t practical. Rather than accomplishing more, you are likely to end up with many things started and few finished. Stick to one task at a time and do it until it’s done.
3. Stick to Your List
You have a to-do list to keep track of your work, so stick to it! When you work from your list, you stay on track and won’t wander to unrelated and miscellaneous tasks.
4. Keep Your Work Area Clutter-Free
Maintaining a clean place to do your work helps your mind from wandering and from you being distracted by other items lying around. This is an instance when “out of sight, out of mind” is your friend.
5. Tune Out the Distractions
Another great way to prevent yourself from getting interrupted is to eliminate the distractions. This can mean actions like turning off your phone, closing your email app, or perhaps putting on headphones with concentration music.
Let the Little Things Be
You don’t have to pick up every small task that catches your eye. In fact, you need to “let the little things be.”
Stick to the big tasks you need to get done.
The little tasks will still be waiting when you are finished.
