Here's How to Get Rid Of Distractions & Up Your Productivity 

Do you ever feel like you’ve spent your whole day warding off distraction rather than “winning the day?”

I have felt this on many occasions. 

For me, I know I’ve won the day when I’ve successfully planned ahead, connected with my people and when I know I showed up to the best of my abilities. But some days, distractions limit me from accomplishing that winning plan. 

Some days giving into distractions has a domino effect and, soon enough, the end of the day feels like a bust. When I do this, I look back on the day and realize, I basically gave up by giving in! (Let me be clear - giving up IS okay if you’re not going in the direction you want to go! Maybe you need to re-route! But giving up on something you love in order to avoid the discomfort of discipline, that’s another thing entirely and I’m here to tell you… as a High Performer, which I know you are...we don’t give up on the things that matter!)

I’ve faced (and continue to face) obstacle after obstacle when it comes to creating the life I desire. Full transparency - one of the obstacles I continue to see pop up never fails to be - distraction. You know what I mean… people needing me (mom of 4 over here)... my team and clients asking me for things...my news feed… I know you feel it too! 

But point blank, I just refuse to give up on continuous momentum simply because fighting the distraction is too hard. 

Think about what you really want and let’s DUMP the distractions! Here are some helpful insights that have worked in my own life that increase discipline and guarantee that you will accelerate your productivity this week! 

1. Understand that distraction is natural and you’re not alone:

I think distraction’s best friend is the limiting belief that you are the only one who struggles with getting distracted! Let’s kick this belief to the curb and recognize that distraction is actually a natural psychological response! 

Everyone experiences being distracted!

Did you know that whenever your brain feels discomfort, rather than dealing with the discomfort, it looks for comfort? This is called “buffering” or numbing. Maybe there are tasks that you have planned for the day that will propel you forward, but they aren’t your favorite. Your brain doesn’t need to be told to look for something else to do, it looks for it on it’s own! I encourage you to tell your brain that you know what it’s up to and lean into the discomfort. Remember that doing hard things grows you. The more you train your brain to accept discomfort and develop discipline, the harder it will be for your brain to slip into “buffering” mode.  

2. Time block your schedule:

Save yourself from the frenzy of racing to beat the clock because you’ve been distracted and set back by getting specific with your time blocks. 

Try making blocks during your day for individual tasks like:

• Answering emails
• CEO Tasks
• Sales/Marketing
• Touching base with your team/assigning tasks
• Creative thinking time if you’re the visionary
• Connection + Development
• And more!

If you notice specific tasks getting set aside, make a block of time for them and commit to doing only that task during that block and stick to it. These are boundaries that you can begin to set for yourself.

3. Implement regular times for self-reflection:

Do you have good insight on your internal triggers? If you’re facing a distraction that is debilitating, perhaps there is a deeper discomfort going on that you need to spend time addressing?  

It’s important to set aside time for thinking, time for reflection, and time for creative ideas to flow.

What can you do to make things less uncomfortable so you can be more productive? Ask yourself some of these questions to get started:

Are you living in alignment with  your “Why”

Are you having to operate outside of your Zone of Genius more than you’d like? 

Are you working on the most important things that are getting you towards your biggest goals?

Allow yourself to be fully aware of - yourself! Doing this will greatly increase your chances of accelerating your productivity because awareness is freeing. 

4. Choose one thing to let go of RIGHT NOW:

Think of something that distracts you that you can let go of RIGHT NOW! 

Put your phone in another room

Delete an unnecessary app 

Delegate a task to a team member

Sometimes we hold onto things for far too long. Examine your life and figure out what you need to LET GO! One exercise I love to do is a brain dump of current stressors in my life and then I choose one thing to decide to say NO to. It’s quick, easy, but impactful! Otherwise, I can hang onto things for far too long! Remember, letting go of a thought or emotion is just as powerful as letting go of an action!

It’s time to accelerate your productivity! I am cheering you on! If you’d like to dig deeper into the root causes of what distracts you, I’d love to jump on a call with you. You can book a free call with me here and start on your journey to planning and time blocking with the Highest Potential Planner.