THIS…THIS RIGHT HERE is why so much of the common advice only makes things worse for me! The whole “if it takes two minutes or less, do it now” principle has completely led me astray. I’ve never been good at it, but that’s just caused me guilt and shame for being unable to do what others find easy and productive. THANK YOU for articulating something I’ve always struggled with but never could explain!
I’m a teacher, so there’s ALWAYS someone asking a question that can derail me. The non-student things get pushed to the side in favour of the kids, and then things get forgotten (email, attendance, etc.) I would love to hear your thoughts on a situation like this.
Thanks for including the worksheet for this one. You’ve turned me into a paid subscriber now that I’ve seen how useful this will be! 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment. Glad this found you :)
Totally can see how being a teacher can lead to a lot of derailed moments! Maybe have a rule in class where say if you have earphones in, it means it is "focus time" and everyone should be getting along with their work?
This hit a nerve because my entire days used to derail exactly like this.
Same. I thought it was just me
It's always the god damn phone
The “quick thing” that always derails me: checking my phone
What I lose when I switch: the task I'm working on
This week, I’ll protect this time block: after lunch
To stop myself from switching, I’ll: put phone on silent mode
When something pops into my head, I’ll: do it later
The “quick thing” that always derails me: just looking something up
What I lose when I switch: time, my train of thought, and momentum
This week, I’ll protect this time block: first hour of work
To stop myself from switching, I’ll: keep my browser closed while working
When something pops into my head, I’ll: write it down and do it later if it's truly important
My workplace has an open layout which causes a lot of distraction for me. I will try putting on my headphones to indicate I'm in work mode 👩💻
THIS…THIS RIGHT HERE is why so much of the common advice only makes things worse for me! The whole “if it takes two minutes or less, do it now” principle has completely led me astray. I’ve never been good at it, but that’s just caused me guilt and shame for being unable to do what others find easy and productive. THANK YOU for articulating something I’ve always struggled with but never could explain!
I’m a teacher, so there’s ALWAYS someone asking a question that can derail me. The non-student things get pushed to the side in favour of the kids, and then things get forgotten (email, attendance, etc.) I would love to hear your thoughts on a situation like this.
Thanks for including the worksheet for this one. You’ve turned me into a paid subscriber now that I’ve seen how useful this will be! 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment. Glad this found you :)
Totally can see how being a teacher can lead to a lot of derailed moments! Maybe have a rule in class where say if you have earphones in, it means it is "focus time" and everyone should be getting along with their work?
Ironic that reading this newsletter is my current distraction. But that's beside the point.
Let's give it a try.
The "quick thing": usually "just looking something up" or checking messages
What I lose: Train of thought; often the next 3-4 hours
This week I (am trying to) protect this time block: 3-6 p.m.
To stop myself from switching, I'll: close my personal browser & announce I'm heads-down
When something pops in my head, I'll: write it down for later