Do you let yourself be distracted when you’re supposed to be focusing on some kind of major creative project? I’m talking about those projects on your to-do list that require your full attention, focus and creative energy, not those puttery-type projects like answering email, making phone calls or uploading a photo to Facebook.
As a creative entrepreneur, you will always have tasks that require your full, undivided attention. Like writing the copy for your website or creating your next email newsletter or blog post, or maybe even finishing your book or CD. And when it comes time for you to dig in and do these projects, you will always have a million opportunities to become distracted and off-task. Your friend will text you or you’ll get a phone call or the cat will throw up on your rug… and there you go. You’ve abandoned your project for something less important… a “pretend” emergency.
There will always be plenty of things to distract you from doing those projects. After all, we are living in the Age of Distraction where cell phones, email, text messages and 45 different flavors of social media seem to rule our lives.
But when you let yourself be pulled away from these projects that really need your full focus and a good chunk of time, you end up either never getting it done, or getting it done very, very slowly, or you end up with a result that doesn’t meet your standards.
So, what can you do?
Ta-DAH! Introducing…. the kitchen timer!
Here’s what I do anytime I need to fully focus all my creative juice and attention on a certain project. I get everything I need to start – which is usually my computer, a few notes or maybe pen and paper – and I set my trusty kitchen timer to 45 seconds. Then, I press the start button, and I’m off! During those 45 minutes, I give my full attention to the task at hand. No checking email. No answering the phone. I don’t even allow myself to go to the bathroom during those 45 minutes.
Then, when the timer rings, I take a break. Get up, stretch a bit, get some water. Or I’ll check email or Facebook. But I only give myself 10 minutes at the most for this break. Then it’s back to another 45-minute stint.
Sometimes, as a result, I get so into the project that when the 45-minute bell goes off, I immediately set the timer for another 45 minutes and off I go without a break.
So if you find yourself challenged by distractions, get yourself a kitchen timer. Decide on a time segment. I use 45 minutes with a 10 minute break, but you may find it works better for you to do 30 minute segments, or 50-minutes. I don’t recommend that you choose any segment that’s an hour or more. Make it under an hour. It will ease the pressure and “marathon” feel of the project.
Hey, and be sure to let me know how it goes for you by leaving a comment below. I’d love to hear about your experience.