Getting the Job Done
Every day we walk into our office knowing there is a job to be done. A project to be completed. We have our ‘To Do’ List. Deadlines, meetings, preparation for those meetings and a host of many other activities face us in business. But, getting the job done is our priority.
We want to be our most creative. Our desire is to be purposeful in what we do. At the end of the day to walk out of our office feeling satisfied that we have accomplished all that is required and more. Most of us want to feel a deep sense of satisfaction in our work. But, in order to get the job done, we need to guard against distractions.
We live in a world of distraction. There is always something else that needs to be done! As Adam Hochschild has said, “Work is hard, distractions are plentiful. And time is short.”
Is Distraction a Problem for you?
If distractions stop you from achieving your best, from accomplishing your goals – then start by doing fewer things! The vast majority of things are distractions and few of these contribute to your success.
Let’s play this out in a real scenario. You have an important email or document to process. You have two hours to achieve your best results. You set off with the best intentions to get the task done. Your mobile pings and you automatically reach for it to see who it is sending you a text. It’s an SMS telling you about the value of marketing your business on LinkedIn. You open your browser and on to LinkedIn to check it out. You suddenly realise that you have spent 20 minutes of unplanned activity that came as a distraction. I could develop this scenario but you know what I mean!
This may be a familiar scene for you. It may be part of your work lifestyle. And you probably leave the office space wishing that you could have achieved more but there is always – tomorrow!
It requires discipline to say – No!
Getting the job done requires that we learn to say no! Most distractions are there because we want them to be! We enjoy the thought of feeling needed. So, we engage in distractions whether helpful or not. Making excuses for distractions is unhelpful. We need to learn the fine art of saying – no!
We have 168 hours in our week. Use them wisely.
Some helpful advice.
Plan your day. I’ll be writing more about this in the near future. Planning does not have to be rigid but it will require self-discipline and focus in order to achieve your goals each day.
“The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
Realise that multitasking is a myth. I am often caught out thinking that I am doing more when in reality I am achieving less. Set yourself to discontinue the practice of trying to multitask. Next, put your mobile on silent and find a way to work on your specific task without being distracted by social media. I am reliably told that there are apps to help you focus and not be distracted. How about self-control as a discipline.
Set yourself a time limit. Of course, you will need to be realistic about this but try it anyway. I guess that setting goals at the start of each day or the night before is the opportunity to add a time limit to your task. This is where preparation comes into its own. By putting in to practice these principles you will find yourself achieving more with excellence and less with mediocrity!
See you soon…
