So you have likely seen the joke going around for a long time… a person is talking and all of a sudden they see a squirrel, and yell “SQUIRREL” and are immediately distracted and cannot finish their thought. I am not sure where the joke originated from, but a perfect example is the dog from the movie “Up” – you are saying/doing one thing, but then getting completely derailed by something else!
I wish this happened to me less often, but it is happens to be that I can get distracted and lose track of what I was thinking/working on really quickly. Around where I live, there are many squirrels – here is a healthy one I saw the other day:
Well, it got me thinking, what are some good ways to stay focused so you can tend to the task at hand, instead of getting easily distracted by the latest “squirrel” to walk by. Here is a great article I found on the web that gives practical tips for staying focused at work: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-stay-focused-2015-11#meditate-2
I think some of the tips that are most applicable and have worked in the past for me are the following:
Minimize multitasking
Establish a to-do list
Try a small amount of caffeine (or in my case, lots!)
Keep work at work
Devote specific hours to tasks
What do you do to stay focused and avoid getting distracted by squirrels?
Take care,
Brian