I allow myself the luxury of total concentration. When I tune out distractions and live fully in the moment, I find that my tasks are completed quicker and with a higher quality of work, bringing me more success and leaving me with more time for other things.

To this end, I do everything possible to prevent distractions.

If office noise is bothering me, I put on headphones to muffle it or turn on music to drown it out. I let my co-workers know what time I need to focus and when they can come to me for questions. I avoid distractions by forwarding calls to voicemail and I check my email during certain hours, only.

I plan my work and work my plan. Each day I take the time to plan the steps of each project and then I stick to my schedule. I put easy tasks first so I can develop my focus quickly and build momentum as I work through the project.

Lastly, I organize my surroundings so there is no interruption in my workflow if I have to find necessary items or papers.

I accept that there are times when distractions are necessary. When this happens, I take care of the situation promptly and get right back to my task. As before, I tackle an easy item first to refocus and rebuild momentum.

Today, I challenge myself to focus with total concentration on one job at a time, leaving the multi-tasking to those who haven’t discovered that there is a better way.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Do I actively tune out distractions so I can focus on the job at hand?
2. How can I organize my office space to reduce distractions?
3. Do I try to multi-task? If so, do I really get more done in less time? What about quality?