It’s easy for the day to get away from you as task after task takes over your to-do list. Devices, social media and email vie for your attention. Time to really increase your ability to eliminate distractions.

A 2015 Gallup poll found that 41 percent of people check their phone a few times every hour, and some check their phone every few minutes. How often do you grab your phone or busy yourself with some “important” task that takes you away from steering your company and career toward true success? Here are three immediate ways you can eliminate distraction and have laser-like focus.

1. List the Top 3 Main Goals You Must Accomplish Today

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that it takes the typical office employee up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return work after interruption, and half of the workers surveyed felt too many tasks took up the work week. Too many “important” tasks led to 40 to 60 percent of hours wasted.

The Plateau Effect states that these interruptions decrease accuracy by 20 percent. So, accomplishing needless tasks just leads to wasting more time. You need to pare back.

List the top three main goals you must accomplish today. Don’t list every single step. Keep it simple, and stick to it.

2. Make Shorter Deadlines for Projects

Long-term goals are important for long-term growth, but it can also lead to twiddling your thumbs and sitting on the projects that matter. Meanwhile, those deadlines tick closer and closer to passing without success.

Parkinson’s law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” You give yourself a week to complete a task that should take two hours, but psychologically, the work grows in complexity and stress to fill the full week. You waste more time. You gain back time and success by assigning the right amount of time to the task.

There is also some very clear evidence that the Theory of Constraints applies to creativity as well. Basically, if you minimize the amount of options or timeframe, your brain will automatically kick into “creative mode” to try to solve the problem using more creative methods. It works wonders for creativity. Try i1!

But how do you know what the right amount of time is? Make shorter deadlines for your projects. Increase your adrenaline and focus by concentrating on the task at hand.

Start with tasks you already know the completion rate for and halve the time to test the law. Watch your productivity expand without sacrificing quality.

3. Lower Your Stress by Delegating Tasks You Hate

Dread significantly multiplies the time it takes to complete a task. You end up earning a big side of stress on top of the dread of completing tasks you hate. Many leaders fail to delegate tasks because of perceived barriers in the way.

You worry you don’t have enough time to teach someone else the ins and outs of the task. You worry about giving up control and risking failure. When you delegate, you get to focus on more important tasks, especially ones you enjoy. You give your employees opportunities to prove themselves and expand their skill sets as you gain increasing confidence in their capabilities and decision-making skills.

Delegation will also help your company develop more targeted systems and processes for success. You will build a system of resources and mutual support, which also impacts your work culture.

Delegate the tasks you hate. Hire the people who love doing those tasks. Everyone wins.

When you delegate, you get out of your own way. Start with delegating small tasks to your team and check in early in the process. Delegating the larger tasks will get easier.

Everyone makes mistakes and learning matters for employee and leadership growth. Match tasks to those who want to develop that skill.

Want to grow as an entrepreneur? You need to trust others.

Don’t run on autopilot, dread and stress. When you eliminate distraction, you create more opportunity for success, growth and inspiration. You wake up ready to tackle your three most important tasks of the day and keep your employees motivated.

Your laser-like focus shows you what you’re doing right. Contact CEO Voodoo to eliminate those distraction blindspots and focus on what matters.

 

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