• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • 858-456-0160
  • Member Login
  • Contact Us
The Accountability Coach

The Accountability Coach

Aim For What You Want!

  • Welcome!
  • My Podcasts
  • Business Success Resources
    • Business Success Tips and Resources Blog
    • Free Webinars
    • Free Articles
    • Coaching Options
      • One-on-One Accountability Coaching
      • Establish a Peer Coaching Team
      • Group Coaching
      • Hold Yourself Accountable
  • Success Store
    • Business Success Store
    • Join The Free Silver Membership
    • Audio Learning To Take With You
    • Books Store for Even Greater Success
    • Affiliates
  • Success Stories
  • About Us
    • Speakers & Trainers
    • Bill Bachrach, CSP, CPAE
    • Anne Bachrach

2 Types of Distractions to Avoid

November 2, 2009 by Anne Bachrach Leave a Comment

If you are working in an empty warehouse with powerful equipment and surrounded by tons of steel then distractions are probably not a major issue. The problem is that you are working in an office—perhaps even a home office—and distractions are affecting you on a daily basis. Distractions may cause you to miss deadlines, turn in lower quality work, or use up time that you really can’t afford to lose.

Distractions impact your success to some degree. If you give your market less attention, then that market will shrivel up. Ignoring the wishes of your clients will definitely affect your profit margins. Ignoring the quality of your work may betray your own objectives, ultimately killing your business. When you are aiming to be a professional, it is important to take all of your obligations seriously. So what can you do to minimize distractions around the home and office?

1. Electronic Distractions

Let’s start by focusing on the computer, one of the best and worst instruments of concentration and distraction. Close any computer windows that are not directly related to what you are working on in the moment. Do you have a habit of checking your email, surfing the internet, or reviewing your site statistics every few minutes? This is distracting. Not only does continually switching from one unrelated activity to another rob directly from your work time, it also robs you of your train of thought. It may take several minutes to get that high concentration level back.
Instant messaging programs are another concern. The more friends that you chat with, the more times you will be interrupted by your online friends who probably want to talk about silly things. (I.e. chit-chat, strange YouTube videos or upcoming movie trailers starring Vin Diesel) When you go “online” you are probably just asking for trouble. Try going invisible or perhaps even closing the program entirely. You can always check your email once or twice per day for a predetermined amount of time.
What about all the social networking sites, like Linkedin, Plaxo, Twitter, Facebook, etc. that are rapidly growing? Is this just one more way to distract you? Do you really want to spend your precious time hanging out on these sites, or would your time be better invested on generating revenue for your business, or working out to keep and stay fit and healthy? Now, this isn’t to say you can’t do business with these social websites. You have to decide which would have more of an impact on you achieving your goals sooner.

2. Active Distractions

The fact of the matter is that most electronic distractions are bad for productivity, while most active distractions could actually help. For starters, try to schedule frequent breaks, especially if you work on the computer. You need to take a break now and then, not only to rest your eyes and stretch your arms, but also to give your brain a much-needed “breather.” This refreshes your mind, lets your body relax, and lets you escape the glare of a computer screen for just a few precious moments.
Furthermore, it might help to take a break outside and exercise in some form. When you exercise, it stimulates your mind and body, even while providing a nice relief from constant concentration. You could lift weights, do pushups, go for a walk or even play a musical instrument. The important thing is that you are doing something active, the opposite of fully concentrating on a work activity. I have heard some people say that having a 10-15 minute break every 90 minutes has a positive effect on your productivity.

Filed Under: Blog Post, Effective and Efficient Behavior, No Longer Acceptable, Time Management, Time Wasters

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Primary Sidebar

SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG

Enter your email address to subscribe to my blog for business success tips and resources.

Testimonials

I’ve sometimes thought of myself as not coachable – fits & starts on progress – but when I looked at where I’ve come, I can tell it works. This year, I’ve experienced over 50% growth – and with that growth came some confidence… confidence to finally go after what I know I should have done – we’ve added a flat-fee-only option to our offerings, and that’s ALL I’ll be targeting for 2014 and beyond. With that under our belts, I can foresee another 50% growth year for each of the next 2 years!

Louis Leyes, Trusted Wealth Advisors, LLP

Footer

Get In Touch

Loading

Contact Us

PHONE
858-456-0160

EMAIL
anne@accountabilitycoach.com

MEMBER LOGIN

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · A.M. Enterprises · Anne Bachrach · The Accountability Coach™ • All Rights Reserved

Download The Guide to Stopping Procrastination Now!

Mind over matter, right? Sometimes, that’s easier said than done. When we’re faced with a laundry list of to-dos and with not enough time in the day, it can be easier to distract ourselves and push things off to the next day. And when more items get added to our list, it becomes overwhelming, and we continue to procrastinate even more. A vicious cycle, but one that can be overcome. That’s the good news!

Click Here to Get Your Free Copy!