Leaving It All On The Field

Do you give 100% each day? If you are speaking with someone, face to face or on the phone, do you give them the attention they deserve? What about your profession? Do you give your employer everything you have, each day? If self-employed, do you make the very most of each and every day?

Odds are, you don’t!

This has been something that I have been thinking about lately.

Do I give everything in my business? Answer: No

Distractions are probably the main culprit that keeps me from doing/giving my best daily. Over the last couple weeks, I have been hyper aware of distractions that leak into my day to day activities. These distractions include:

• Too many tabs open in my browser

• Keeping up with the sports teams I follow

• Answering every text the I get right away

• Not sticking to my schedule

• Keeping “small talk” to a minimum

• Checking and answering every email as they come in

• Social Media *f’n social media

Just looking at it, the list is exhausting. Many times I have caught myself with too many tabs open and checking on my Chicago White Sox. This list can take you down a rabbit hole and make it difficult to get back on track. There have times where I have eroded 30 to 90 minutes out of my day drifting from one thing to the next.

Here are some suggestions on how I have been combating this issue.

• Limit the number of tabs open in my browser to two (2)

• Listen to focus music while working keeps my attention on task.

• Turn my “Airplane Mode” on when the need to focus is critical. This limits the interaction the rest of the world has with me

• Checking my email 3-4 times a day.

• Close my computer when I am on a business call

• Setting time limits on my phone for social media and other apps

Doing these things has helped me remain on task and get things done during the work day. It has also eased my dependence on my phone quite a bit.

If you struggle with focus and giving each day your best, you may want to try a couple of the mentions above. If you have found a new hack that helps you manage the rabbit hole, I would love to hear it.

Thanks for reading!

JP