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Driven To Distraction
By
Mark Landsbaum
One reason the home office workday stretches into an
exhaustive 12 hours rather than merely a weary 10 is because we’re so easily
distracted. There’s the refrigerator, the television, the Internet, computer
solitaire, the neighbor, the dog. The bed. Admit it, you’ve occasionally snuck a
few midday zzz’s.
Yes, yes. Those are perks of working at home. But as
with potato chips, it’s hard to indulge just once. That’s why these effective
tips will help you decrease the time spent on distractions and increase your
home office productivity.
Discipline Yourself
This is at
the top of the list and the root of the problem.
Remember school? You
had five minutes to get from biology class to algebra and managed to make it
just in time. Had you been given 30 minutes, guess what? You would have made it
just in time. Discipline is the foundation that the remainder of these tips will
build upon.
Use Schedules
Set specific times for regular
distractions like checking e-mail, phoning Mom or walking the dog. You’ll
simultaneously reduce the number of times you indulge and limit the time you
lose.
Otherwise, you’ll find yourself rising frequently, wandering off
and losing track of how many times you’ve been distracted. Like a leaky faucet,
you don’t realize the steady drip, drip, drip costs you gallons until you pay
the bill.
Defer Gratification
Rewards work, but they
cease to be rewards if you get one any time you want. For the same reason
out-of-the-home employers reward their people with breaks every couple of hours,
you should, too. But don’t take that break if you’ve already snuck a nap when
you were supposed to be working.
Remove Temptations
Are
computer games constantly tugging at your attention? Uninstall them from the
office computer. Are you an e-mail- or instant message-aholic? Close those
applications so you don’t get buzzed every time someone with less discipline
gets an urge.
Oh yes, and turn off the TV. Duh.
Stifle That
Phone
There’s no need to answer every incoming telephone call every
time the phone rings. That’s the beauty of answering machines.
If you’re
petrified you might miss something critical, simply turn up the volume so you
can screen the messages being left. If it’s truly urgent, you can swivel in your
chair and pick up the receiver.
Set Hard Limits
Regular
schedules will limit the frequency of your distractions, but you’ve gained
nothing by cutting back from 10 to two distractions a day if each one drags on
for two hours.
If one of your regularly scheduled indulgences is to take
a stroll in the fresh air, allow yourself five, 10 or 15 minutes, but no more.
Invest in one of those $10 watches that comes with a timer and alarm. Tip: If
you want to walk for 10 minutes, set the alarm for five. When the alarm goes
off, set it for another five, turn around and head home.