7 ways to avoid distractions and stay focused

Train your brain 

To unlearn old and learn new habits

Distractions are inevitable, how you spend your time is under your control, you have to see what is important and needed in life and what is a relative waste of time. Stop being a technology slave and start controlling your time, maintain self-discipline, and practice a doer attitude!! 

No one will either wait for you or motivate you as much as you can do to yourself. Don't sit and look at your goal for too long, just get up and do it!! whatever that you are procrastinating for too long, whatever that is there in your mind for many many days and weeks and months now, stop thinking too much about it, stop giving excuses, what will people say, what if I will fail, what if people will not like me, I don't have the courage, whatever your limiting belief is, stop it then and there, get up and do it!! finish it!! finish a part of it, take baby steps, but don't stop.

1. Write your goals and display them.
2. Set up your day a night before
3. Take it one at a time
4. Upgrade your skills 
5. Identify your key constraints 
6. Don't let technology arrest you 
7. Dedicate time and create slots.

1. Write your Goals and display them where they are most accessible to you.

Source: https://www.lifehack.org

Our subconscious mind works in a simple fashion, it keeps cleaning our head on a self-cleaning mode.

So if you don't revise or recall something, the brain will assume it to be unnecessary and not important, and the thing will be washed off. But if you keep reminding Brain about the most important things, your goals, things to buy, special dates and occasions, healthy diet pattern, morning routine, also, if you'll add a nice and happy memory to it, your brain will be super excited to do it.

There's a place in my garden, where I love to sit and create content, every morning when I wake up, my brain keeps reminding me to do things asap*, to go sit on that bench and create content, in turn, this gives me peace, sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, achievement, and happiness a major to do for the day is done... once I achieve this, I know I can be consistent in the entire day. This in turn helps me avoid distractions, because I have experienced the feeling of happiness, and definitely I crave it more.

*focus:- After few days of consistent practice, Now I don't have to remind my brain, the brain does this for me,

2. Set up your day a night before

This is not only for a few days, but a consistent practice, once you are into the practice and your days are scheduled, your body will set up alarms, and your body clock will be active.

Initially, not heavy, but make some basic decisions...

1) call one person (call at least one person a day)
2) post on social media
3) Finish office work
4) Make a professional call
5) Pitch at least 10 clients
6) cook breakfast by this time lunch by 2  and dinner by 6 and so on and so forth...

See... majorly, no time is set, initially, our brain needs something to go to when it is free... and whenever you're free, check your list and finish one item, don't be too rigid with your brain, we are working on training your brain.. and it requires slow steps, after all, it took years to become who you are...
And you must at least give it those many days to unlearn old habits and replace them with new ones.

Questions, what if we don't do it. 
Answer:- whenever you'll be free, you'll end up doing something distracting, because you have no pre-defined activity/goal, and trust me, when your brain is free, bored, and tired, it is difficult to stretch it and think of positive activities, it will do, what it enjoys. 

3. Take it one at a time

Do not run after achieving medals in a single day, everything starts small, everything starts one day, everything takes time. Accept the fact and accept the failures and setbacks as well. The one who doesn't work cannot fail is the simple rule of life, the other rule of life is to keep moving, despite the setbacks, despite the failures. 

For example, you might plan to write a book someday, getting disheartened the same evening because you haven't come across any topic yet, is not good. take time, study, think, talk to people, do some market research, take some courses or join reading clubs or writer associations, do whatever it takes to reach your goal, a tiny step in the right direction, decreases the path between you and your goal.

4. Upgrade your skills 

A major reason for procrastination is we don't upskill ourselves, we believe we got degrees and that's enough, actually, it is not! continuous learning is the key to success in any domain you try to get in. We must read at least a book once a month, try online MOOC courses on platforms such as Coursera, udemy, Simplilearn, EdX, Skillshare, Khan Academy, Ted-Ed, watch TEDx videos. The more you learn, the more you grow, because you gain confidence and confidence to apply the knowledge too. 

5. Identify your key constraints - are they factual or opinions that don't matter

Identify what is holding you back, what is stopping you from moving in the direction of your passion and goal. Whatever that it is, write it down, writing makes things tangible and makes it more clear to us. Then, ask yourself, whether it is fact-based or it is just an opinion that does not matter much. If it a fact, try to eliminate it by working over it, if it is a baseless opinion, eliminate it right away, without a second thought. 

I remember having a conversation with a lady in my industry who used the "let the other person down approach" that's what I call it. so, she started demeaning me, telling me how incapable I am as a trainer, as a writer, and how I must change my path if at all I need success. Ummm, initially it became my constraint, I thought, maybe she is right, but upon writing it I realized what could be the probable reasons, 

1) I don't have the necessary certification?

2) I don't have a passion?

3) I don't have the necessary skills?

4) Competition, yes, she was killing one of her competition?? 

5) She is probably selling her course, if I do that, I become qualified enough!!

Certification? earned it!! 

Passion?? have more than enough, and growing every day! 

Necessary skill?? Have attained this by working all by myself on everything possible!! 

Competition?? I found and focused on my niche.

Buying her course? now that's a baseless, pointless opinion!! eliminate this!! 

and I am here, and you are reading this!! 

6. Don't let technology arrest you 

Richard Branson 

Why is technology ruining our life?? because we are giving technology permission!! 

stop being a slave, when you have the power to control your gadgets. Learn to switch them off often, at least when you wake up, try not to use your phone for at least 3-4 hours. 

for more details listen to my podcast morning routine here. 

7. Dedicate time and create slots.

When we are in a state of flow, time just flows, and after a while, it's like, "Oh! is it already 3 hours?? I got lost doing this..." This is when you have started enjoying your work, this is when you are in the state of flow, this is when your success has started to reach its peak. 

But there is a catch in the story, what if you reach in the flow state doing things that are distracting such as watching television, and Netflix, reading novels, and playing while you must be working on your goals??

therefore, it is important to dedicate specific hours to every task that you start, so if I exercise, it is only 1 hour in the morning, reading only 30 mins in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening during weekdays, cooking never takes me beyond an hour or half in the kitchen, working on a blog must finish in an hour. 

point is breaking the day, divide tasks, and set POMODORO. Do the tasks in the set deadlines and set timings, not beyond, everything in life must have a dedicated time to maintain balance and also not enter into the zone of only work and no play, only play and no work, neither the family should suffer nor the work life. 

Make a note to practice these every day!! reading without action has no meaning, when you work everything else must become relatively less important and a waste of time. This will also help you plan and focus on the most important tasks. Make it a habit, not a one-time effort. 

JUST DO IT!! 

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In the comment box, pls mention how did you like it?? Did it help??