This is a post I wrote over a year ago that I think is important to revisit.

With the New Year less than a week away, most marketers have their key
strategies in place and have committed to working their plan.

Because I talk to people every day who are struggling with maintaining
their focus and staying on task, I’m re-posting the concepts that can
help you get more done in 2012.

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It’s 10:30 P.M. and you’re exhausted.

You’ve been working all day…or at least it’s FELT like
you’ve been working…but you have little to nothing to
show for your time.

Projects are still sitting partially done, items on your
“to do” list aren’t marked off, the phone calls you MEANT
to return weren’t made…

And yet it’s 10:30 PM, you’ve been at it for eight or more
hours, and you’re exhausted.

Huh??

What gives?

Simply this.

Technology, while a wonderful thing (I sure wouldn’t want to
be without it), bombards us from every direction.  It surrounds
us, entices us and often robs us of our focus.

We can become totally absorbed, spend huge amounts of time
flitting from one task to another and can end up spinning our
wheels all day long without even realizing it.

Chris Brogan of Entrepreneur Magazine claims we have a “new
attention deficit disorder” of our own making.  And he claims
the machines surrounding us, permitting us to be thousand times
more productive than the previous generation, are the cause.

He makes the case that instead of plopping down on the couch
with a bag of Doritos to wile away the evening in front of our
televisions, we seem to spend every spare moment (and then some!)
on our computers and smart phones.

I agree these constant distractions pull our focus away from the
task at hand, leaving us constantly “busy”.  And since technology
is here to stay, it’s important that we take a proactive approach
to keep distractions at a minimum.

Here are a few suggestions that may help:

1. Habits make or break us. First and foremost, realize that much
of what we embrace on a daily basis has come to us gradually…and
become habit.  Begin NOW to replace those habits with new, more
effective behaviors.

And remember, it’s going to take time, repetition, and DISCIPLINE
to develop new habits to replace the old.

2. Email, friend or foe? Pick two or three (no more than three)
SPECIFIC TIMES that you check your email.  Allow enough time read
the important ones and respond to those that need it.

Resist that to urge stockpile the less urgent stuff thinking that
you’ll get to “later”.  Chances are pretty good you won’t.

And please realize that in today’s fact paced world, if an email
is a month old, it’s ancient history. The offer’s over, the sale’s
ended, the get together has passed.  Please hear me…the delete
key is your friend. (seriously…if it was REALLY important, you’d
know about it by now)

Oh! And if you are subscribed to newsletters, etc. that you don’t
read, unsubscribe. One less distraction for you to deal with.

3. We have Voicemail for a Reason! Hello? Do I really have to
elaborate on this one?

Don’t be a slave to your ringing phone.  We have caller ID…if it’s
someone you really MUST talk to, by all means, pick it up.

Otherwise, let the call go to voicemail and stay on task.  Call
them back when it’s convenient for YOU.

If the ringing phone bugs you, set the ringer to silent.  And here’s
a cool thing…many land lines and cell phones have the ability to
send calls directly to voicemail…it doesn’t even ring.

4. FaceBook & Twitter. How many times a day do you really have to
check to see what Sally Sue and Billy Bob think of your status
post/Tweet?  Like email, schedule a couple (no more than three)
times a day when you hop on the social sites and interact with folks.

5. IE, Firefox and Chrome Gotta love the improvements in Internet
browsers over the past few years!  Makes surfing and multi-tasking
SO much easier with all those tabs!

But keep open browsers and tabs at a minimum.  Seeing the little
notification numbers on your email or social media tab only serves
to distract you from the task at hand.

6. Start and End Your Day with your “To-Do” list.  Write down the
tasks that you MUST accomplish each day, and work at your list
until they’re done.

Review your list in the morning (you may need to make minor changes)
and before quitting for the day, write your list for the next day.
Having a list to follow makes it easier to regain focus should you
get off track for some reason.

7. We are people! Probably the MOST important of all is to take time
for real, face to face conversations with people.

And when you’re with them, really BE with them.  Don’t keep
glancing at your Blackberry or texting someone else in the middle
of a conversation.

Better yet, shut your phone OFF and let calls go to voicemail.
Maintain eye contact and let the other person know you’re really
interested in what they have to say.

You’ll be surprised at how much impact this simple habit will have
on your relationships…business and otherwise.

Sure, we’re busy.  And we seem to be getting busier all the time.

But developing just one or two new habits may help “cure” you of
the new attention deficit disorder.

Besides, you may just end up freeing up enough time that you’re
actually able to relax.

To get my tips, resources and other cool stuff for home business
owners, get on my list while you’re here.

P.S. And BTW…If You Don’t Have a Step-By-Step Blueprint For Success,
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