Distractions are the biggest roadblocks for productivity in your office.
In fact, they’re the number #1 reason why your business might not be growing!
Unfortunately, solving distractions that might be affecting you or your team is not a cookie-cutter answer. Everyone is different and so are their distractions.
But understanding why we get distracted is a great first step on the way to solving them.
So we’ve narrowed down the search to find the three most typical reasons we as human beings get distracted at work.
Once you know why distractions occur, you can take steps to avoid what may be triggering distractions for you in the first place.
Overall, this leads to a much more efficient and happy workplace – so read on!
#1 – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Procrastination!
Typically, when we don’t want to start a project is the most dangerous time for distractions.
This is because our willpower is weak and we are already looking for any reason to prolong starting.
A fleeting distraction can quickly and easily turn into procrastination: from there, it can spiral into hours of wasted time that we always end up regretting.
The good news? The hardest part is just starting.
Set yourself a timer for five minutes. Tell yourself that you’ll work on your task or project for exactly five minutes and no longer. Once the time is up, you’ll stop working.
More often than not, you’ll realize that the project isn’t anywhere near as tedious or difficult as you thought it was.
And even just five minutes can feel like tremendous momentum, especially for something you’ve been putting off for hours. This is a fantastic way to get started and finish your project!
#2 – Distractions Come Easy When You Are Not Invested In Your Work
Being “invested” in your project at work can mean a few things. Mostly, it means that you are either:
- Personally responsible for its success or failure
- You’ve spent a significant amount of time researching the subject material
- The cause is worthwhile and you want to see the project succeed
- You’ve already invested a significant amount of time into the process
Either of these – or all of them in the best-case scenario – will make you genuinely care about the project you’re working on.
When you care deeply, you are much less likely to become distracted and more likely to produce high-quality work.
On the flip side, if you don’t care about the project then you are far more likely to procrastinate starting it. You will be easily distracted, too, because nothing will be tethering your willpower to finish said project.
The good news is that points #1, #2, and #4 can all be produced by you.
By simply spending time on the project, you are going to become invested in it: the longer you work on something, the less likely you are to become distracted!
#3 – Don’t Rush A Project, Otherwise You Won’t Be Able To Focus
There’s no denying that speed and efficiency are important in business.
However, there is a difference between completing a project by its deadline and trying to rush through it because you dislike the project.
When you are rushing through your work you are not focused on it. All you care about is finishing.
This might seem productive for avoiding distractions.
But this will only lead to mistakes and low-quality work. Ironically, you will then have to go back over your project to correct your mistakes.
And there’s nothing more tedious than redoing an entire project, especially if a client has demanded you redo it.
This can not only lead to procrastination but a myriad of distractions: the less you want to do something, the easier your focus is to be pulled away from it.
To avoid this, get into your “flow state.” This state is triggered by one to three hours of deep, focused work on a single task. Block out any noise or meetings that may disrupt your focus during this time.
Ironically, even though you will be taking your time, you will actually be far more efficient than if you had rushed things.
This is because you are less likely to make mistakes, and need to make revisions. Plus, the overall quality of work will be higher – and you’ll enjoy it more!
Financial Worry Can Be The Biggest Distraction Out There
Knowledge is the most effective way to deal with distraction: knowing why will let you overcome distractions and become more productive.
In fact, one of the biggest distractions for Australian business owners is having to spend dozens of hours per week watching over their finances.
At The A Firm, we can help you solve this distraction with our expert accounting and bookkeeping experience.
Call us today to learn how we can help grow your business distraction-free!