managing distractions

Monday feels like a good day to write about 'getting things done'. While I'm definitely one for making time to watch the clouds drift by I do have a mild trait of needing to be productive to feel happy. And if I'm honest, I'd like to be way more efficient at getting things done. I don't like the feeling of always playing catch up and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. I've identified a few daily distractions slowing me down and want to compare notes with you.

As regular readers know my eldest son River started prep this year, one thing his class is practicing is 'managing distractions' that stand in the way of their learning. What a great thing to learn, because there is no shortage of distractions in this lifetime to take our minds and actions away from what we really want or need to be doing.

Checking emails, sending text messages, chatting on the phone, reading blogs, washing dishes, are just four of my distractions that keep me from getting through a to do list that some items seem never to be crossed off.

So now that I'm becoming clear about what is distracting me, I am going to manage those distractions. If my five year old son and his classmates can learn to do it so can I. And I've started with writing this post. Normally I would check emails as they came in and if I felt like it I would reply to them, I would answer the phone if it rang, if I got stuck for a word or next sentence I would wander off and wash the dishes or wander to another blog - true this does help writer's block - but it didn't take much for me to wander off.

Single-minded focus is my new aim. Starting a task and seeing it through, managing those distractions as they come flying at me including the thoughts that take me away from my task is my new approach.

I think clearing my mind with meditation and returning to regular yoga practice would definitely help me to focus my busy mind and scattered approach to getting things done.

I've decided clutter is huge time sucking distraction. My husband is always telling me the more possessions people have the more time they have to spend putting them away and he's right. A 'spring clean' is in order for me to cut down on the time I spend organising possessions, finding lost items and putting things away. Less things, more time to myself.

If you're looking to change your ways this list 50 tricks to get things done faster, better and more easily has some good ideas. And if organising and decluttering your house is a priority but you don't know where to start The Organised Housewife will get you sorted.

Are you satisfied with your productivity/efficiency? How do you organise your time to get things done? Send me your tips I would love to know what works.