Are you wondering where your time has gone? Even better, are you wondering what you can do to make sure you don't lose any more time? It can be very difficult to get back on track after an emergency or more general interruption occurs. We can veer so far from our original intended actions. The good news is, we can also learn how to protect ourselves from unexpected or unwanted time waste.
Instead of getting down on yourself and making it more difficult to feel motivated, have a set of strategies to cope with interruptions. Coach yourself to restore your sense of focus and purpose as quickly as you can.
Here's a quick list of 6 suggestions for how to get back on track after dealing with an interruption or distraction:
1. Start by knowing what your general game plan is. Before you start your day, sketch out a general game plan for how you would like things to progress. I recommend you start with a copy of The Emergent Task Planner if you don’t already have a good system to organize and to track your daily activities. Once you have an established plan in place, it should be easier to avoid disruptions and to get back into action if you face a blip in your plans.
2. Figure out which factors tend to cause a break in your focus. Is it boredom? Working for too long? Lack of sleep? Too much alcohol last night? Whatever the reason, note it well. Devise a plan to reduce the occurrence, impact, and effect of these trigger factors when you need to get more things done.
3. Accept and tolerate interruptions when they occur. Don’t add emotional drama to the existing drama of the event that caused you to go off course. Life happens. Let it be. Take a breath. Start over again. Also remember…just because other people are getting worked up does not mean you have to. Stay the course.
4. Lighten your schedule a bit if you can anticipate a series of interruptions or if you struggle with not being able to stay focused for very long. Trim your schedule so you can feel the benefits of completing what you start. Enjoy feeling accomplished, successful, and free. You can always build your schedule up again if you need or want to in a few days or weeks. Remember, you are the boss of your own time, so be a great boss.
5. Use your evening time well. There is much ado lately about using our early morning hours well, but I have always thought the evening hours deserve recognition too. Reflect on the day’s events at night time and make another game plan for the next day. If you had to deal with procrastination or another type of interruption in your work, do a few minutes of what you originally planned to do. Those few minutes of actively dealing with your work at night will set you up for greater productivity the next day.
6. Forgive yourself quickly to recover more quickly. You simply lost track of time. You were busy. You really meant to get more done. It is okay. Any of the reasons you lost track of time have got to be okay because now that time is in the past. Gone. Done. Move forward again, the way you had wanted to. You can still do it. Remember, no drama needed.
There are many ways to get back on track after an interruption, so feel free to build your own set of trusty tricks and tips too. Remember to be kind to yourself no matter what situation you find yourself in as that always makes everything easier to get through.
Want to try something new?
I've designed the One Page Personal Plan to help you make good on your intentions to get your important tasks and goals accomplished. The One Page Personal Plan consists of sections for goal-setting and tracking your progress as well. To get your free copy, please click the button below:
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