Posts Tagged by dealing with distractions

How do you deal with distractions? When they are as cute as this one, I just go with the flow and play more than I usually do. You see, I’m grandma to this one so I don’t have to clean up after him – or feed him – or take him on walks. My son does all that. I have all the grandma privileges – spoil him rotten – buy new toys – play for awhile then give him back. New puppies are soooo much fun when someone else does all the work!

But he is quite a distraction! He’s been here only a few days, and the amount of work I’ve gotten done is probably about 25% of normal. Naturally when it came time to write a post, my inspiration focused directly on those moments of distraction when I just have to get up and go see what Rush is doing. Here are a few tips you can use for your own distractions. I will definitely be using them for the next few weeks to get back on track.

1. Give in! That sounds crazy and seems to be missing the point, but if you use this one sparingly it works wonders. Let’s say there’s a cute puppy in the other room, and you can’t get your mind off of how much fun he is. Give in to urge to play for 5 or 10 minutes then get back to work. You need a break once in awhile, don’t you?

2. Use the distraction as a reward. Set a time – I use 1.5 hours – and then spend 5 to 10 minutes with the puppy (or your own distraction!)

3. List your distractions. My piano instructor in college taught me this one. Keep a notepad handy and write down anything you think about that needs to be done or handled later – play with Rush, buy a new chew toy. The reminder list frees you up to focus on the current task without being afraid of forgetting something. (Like I’m going to forget to play with the puppy!)

4. Track your distractions. This is one I developed after using #3 for a few months. When I make a tick mark for each time my mind wanders off onto something else – maybe something like a puppy – it helps me refocus. The fact that I’m seeing all those tick marks add up helps me realize I’m wasting time and motivates me to stay on task.

I hope this helps when you’re dealing with distractions. I’d probably have more to say on the subject, but I really have to go. There’s a puppy waiting for me and…

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