Go to the Bottom of Things

We talk a lot about distractions such as email, phone calls, people interrupting you, having a cluttered workspace, etc. But, have you ever considered that having too many things to do can be a big distraction as well? If you are worried about all the things you have to do you may find it difficult to be focused, thorough and able to do individual tasks to the best of your ability.

Consider the words of Lord Chesterfield, "Whatever you do, do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially. Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads."

If you find that you're doing things "superficially", consider these recommendations:

• Take the time each day to write down the things that you need to get done. Get them out of your head and down on paper
• From your list of things to do, determine what you have time to accomplish today. This is your list to focus on
• Now that you have a smaller list (hopefully it is smaller), slow down, focus and do it right the first time

There are so many great opportunities that you can and should fully engage in. Don't allow your sometime overwhelming list of things to do "mislead", distract or slow you down.

Choose Your Intermission Wisely

According to a statistics article in the Harvard Business Review, undergraduate students who took a 10 minute Internet break after a tedious task were 16% more productive after the break than those who did non-web activities like talking on the phone or texting. According to the researchers, "Browsing the web serves an important restorative function."



We could spend lots of time discussing the ages of the undergraduates and how if older people would have been involved in the study, the results would have been different. There is a deeper question about why spending time on the Internet held more value than connecting (or trying to connect) with people via phone call or text, but you can have that discussion in your office.



The big "aha!" for me is simply that each of us have different things that give us the renewal we need to get our most important things done. Too often, we don't take the time to engage in one of these activities (mental or physical) during our brief intermission, and lack the focus for our "next half."



Today, why not make a list of 7-10 activities that help restore your energy and sense of purpose that require 10 minutes or less? Then the next time you are ready for a break-you have a better list of acts to bring into your lineup.

Don't Delay; Do It Today

There are so many opportunities for you to achieve great things in your lifetime. Don't find yourself approaching the end of your life saying to yourself, "I should have...If only I would have...I really could have..." Don't give in to mediocrity, be extraordinary.

How do you eat an elephant? You know the answer - one bite at a time. If that is the case, get out your fork and dig in. Do it today, where you sit, using what you have. Don't wait for the time to be just right. Seize today.

Get Some Sleep

I am one who likes to pull "all nighters". There is something about being focused with the lack of distraction that allows me to resolve an issue or get a lot of stuff done - or so I think. On occassion, working late into the night can be productive but sleep deprivation can reduce your effectiveness short term and long term.

Your body and mind need rest. It is vital to get enough sleep. I find the quote by John Steinbeck to be true, "It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." Sometimes, it might just be better to go to bed, get some rest, let your mind reset and approach a problem in the morning with a fresh outlook.

Think The Self Ring Doesn't Matter?

If you are an employer or manager and may want to discount the need to focus on helping to improve the "self ring" of your employees, consider these statistics from the CDC for every 100 employees:

• 77 eat less than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables
• 68 do not have regular physical activity
• 67 are overweight or obese
• 34 have high cholesterol
• 26 have high blood pressure
• 25 smoke
• 9 have diabetes
• 8 have had a heart attack or a stroke

Can you really afford NOT to find ways to help them improve in their self ring?