How often has this happened to you: You spend most of the day
scrambling to keep on top of everything that comes across your desk,
only to end up feeling like you've been spinning your wheels all day. In
fact, the faster you go, the less it appears you accomplish.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you might be having
trouble focusing.
Imagine for a moment that you are writing a report that needs to be on
your boss's desk by the end of the day. You've just come back from lunch
and are preparing to sit down to finish it. Suddenly, ding! There is a
new email. It's from a friend who wants to make a lunch date next week.
You get that out of the way--you agree to go to that new Thai place down
the street next Thursday at noon--and get down to work.
Then a colleague walks in and asks if you know the date the new director
is starting. "Just a sec," you say, "I have it right here." Good person
that you are, you look it up and pass the information along. Then, you
get back to work.
Just as you're settling in, the telephone rings. Then there's another
email. And another colleague. And another... do you see a pattern here?
Does it look familiar? It's called
Shiny Object Syndrome--you see it, you reach for it, you
take care of it--and it's hampering your ability to get things done.
Getting the job done might be as simple as shutting down your email
program, setting the telephone to 'Do not disturb' and closing your
door. That way, when shiny objects go by, you don't even notice them.
Imagine, a whole hour--or two, whatever
you choose--to focus on the job at hand.
It's not about time management. It's about focus. And getting the job
done. Stress-free.
