How to Manage Distractions
Tuesday, 08 June 2010 09:00
Articles - Sales and Marketing
My son just finished his first year of college and just before he left I offered him this advice, “Your success in college and life will depend on your ability to manage your distractions.” Actually, I think this advice spills over into our adult lives and our business on a daily basis. For me, I know I am constantly managing my distractions.
Sometimes distractions will pop-up that you cannot characterize. You set about doing a task, but for some reason, it just doesn't get done. Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and asked yourself, “What did I get accomplished?” If so, don’t feel alone because this happens to me more often than I would like to admit.

With all of the changes occurring in our business, I knew I needed to become more efficient and more productive in my business. I stepped back and started evaluating what really was happening during my day. To my chagrin, I found I was not doing a very good job managing my distractions and my time.
I wanted to put into place a plan to find out how to really make myself more efficient and hopefully add more organization and productivity to my day. I discovered there are many tools out there to help.
I Need a System
One such system used is referred to as the Five-S system. This system can easily be implemented and the cost is free. The usefulness of the system is dependent upon the effort you put into making it work for you in your daily workplace, whether it is in your office or your home. Here are the five basics for your system:
1. Sort- the first step in organizing.
2. Set the order- organize, identify and arrange everything in your workplace.
3. Shine - regular cleaning and maintenance-this adds to your order.
4. Standardize- simplify and make it easy to maintain.
5. Sustain-maintain what has been accomplished, once 1-4 is completed.
These five basics are critical in creating an effective and productive workplace, which can add an immeasurable amount of productivity to your day. These five basics are also the most often overlooked when most of us seek to improve our productivity, however once you understand it, the relevance of the Five S systemis obvious, as are the immediate benefits you will receive.
The 5 basics can be employed in an office environment, a home office, or a simple home kitchen. The point is that if a work area is properly set up and maintained, productivity is increased tremendously. This means that more can be done with less stress and less waste; there is less chance for distractions to get you off task.
Sort


First you must sort the items in the work area and determine the usefulness and importance of each item for the tasks that are done in that space. This means that you must be willing to part with items that are not useful or simply clutter the space. There must be a definite place for everything that is to be retained. If it doesn’t work, throw it out!
Next, set the order


Secondly, set the area in order by identifying the things that will be in that area and organizing them and arranging them in a manner that will facilitate efficient and productive workflow. For example, consider a set of kitchen knives that are stored in a countertop block; each knife has a definite slot in the block and it is obvious when a knife is missing. Follow this principle of setting the area in order. You want to know at a glance that everything is in its place. Use labels and file folders to sort everything and every piece of paper should have its own definite slot. Once you know what goes in the area, you want to arrange things so that they are located where they can be most useful. Keeping with our knives, it wouldn't make sense to store them in a linen closet or far from where you do most of your cutting; you want them near the cutting board to minimize travel distance. This same principle holds true for your files and paperwork. 

I use two organizers, one on my desk for my current files and tasks, andI use the other rolling hanging file folder holder for tasks that come up on a weekly basis. I also have my computer, phone and printer within a swivel of my chair,all positioned for maximum comfort.
Shine and polish the area
Once you have the basic organization down, you want to shine the area. This means regular cleaning and checking that everything is in place—remember the knife block? Are all the knives in their proper slots? I actually feel better about myself when the workplace is clean and polished.
Standardize the workplace area
Standardizing the area is important, along with locating similar objects within the workplace. For the 5 Basic S traits to be most effective, items used for a single task should be together to maximize what can be done in a single area with a minimum number of steps for each. Try to keep things grouped together as much as possible or at least gather all of your tools and "ingredients" together before starting a task. This will help you eliminate waste and maintain order.
This is an ongoing process; you should continuously ask yourself if you could improve your workflow. This step is a major tough one for me.
Sustain (maintain) the work area
The final step is the hardest to do: sustain the work area. This means preventing clutter from returning, maintaining your organization and continuously striving to improve the workflow. I must admit this is my downfall. My workplace is like my garage. I have to constantly stay on top of it to keep it organized.
Here are some tips to help manage your distractions and keep better track of your time:
#1 Take Advantage of Time Management tools

Using time management tools gives you the ability to organize your time and plan ahead. For example, most email programs such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Outlook allow you to schedule events and set reminders. These tools are free and available for your immediate use.
#2 Email Tips

Did you know that on average we spend 2 hours a day reading and responding to emails? So getting control of the Inbox is an important time management tip! I try to limit checking emails to twice a day,once in the AM, the other in the PM.
#3 Determine how much time you are really wasting

Often, a first indication that time management skills could be useful to you is that you are busy, yet feel that you have not accomplished much. The best way to begin is to keep a time log of your daily activities. Keep a log of your time for one solid week, using the tools offered in #1. Knowing how you spend your time is an important time management skill to develop.
#4 Create time management goals for yourself


We all only have 24 hours a day, so time management is not about creating more time, but using the time we have more effectively by changing our behavior, not just time. With goal setting, it is important to have a long-term vision.


#5 Plan your projects and marketing efforts

A project is generally one particular piece of work with a fixed time frame. Planning your project increases the chance of your marketing success.
#6 Create your own time management action plan
Busy people have many demands on their time. Being effective is all about prioritizing your time ruthlessly and meaning it!
#7 Organizing to save time
Are you wasting time looking for that phone number on a post-it note, or a file on your computer? This could be costing you time and money. Get an automated system you can use on demand. I also use a spiral notebook, instead of looking for loose pieces of paper and a CRM system for all my contacts.
#8 Plan your day as if it has to count
Research suggests that every hour spent planning saves 3-4 hours in actual execution and gives you better quality output. Amazing time saved is time not lost!

#9 Be more productive during your prime time
Knowing the best time for you to be most productive is key. However, don’t forget your prime time may be different than your senior clients, so you may need an adjustment to your time output to coincide with your senior prospects.
#10 Manage your phone calls effectively



Is your telephone a tool or a tyrant? The phone can eat up alot of your productivity, either because you spend too long on the phone or the phone is a constant interruption. I have a timer on my desk. I set an alarm to go off, based on the time allocated for that caller or prospect.
Implementation – get started now!
Managing distractions and making best of your time has a very low cost attached. Yes, you can do all of the above for little or no money. Keep in mind, that once time is gone, it’s gone forever.
Now all of these ideas and tools are great, however, they are exactly that: just ideas. For those ideas to work, it is up to you to implement them. Why not start today? Start keeping track of all those distractions. Managing distractions can help you stay on task, reduce stress, improve productivity, and ultimately your bottom line profits.
Good luck!
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