Finding Your Focus
My day starts early, but even once my husband is up to help with the boys, I often find myself losing focus. I swear that 2 year old attention span is contagious!
I sit down at my desk to work. Hubby comes in to ask if I’m going to need the car today or if he can practice driving (he’s working on learning to drive). I answer and start checking emails. My dad wrote, so I write back. Then I settle in to start writing articles. My sister pops up on Skype, asking if I have any work for her. I do, so I spend a few minutes tracking down the assignment and sending it to her. Back to work. Dorian, my almost 4 year old, pops in, knocking on my desk to announce himself, “Mama, I’m right here.” (that’s preschooler code for “attention please!”) So I talk to him about his cars for a minute. Off he goes and just as I am looking up information on acai berries, my littlest guy, Dante, 2.5, comes running in, sobbing that Dorian took his hammer. I remind him that hammers are only to be used outside (not on my tile floors!), put on his shoes and send him outside with the rescued tool. And so it goes. I’m sure I’m not the only work at home mom who gets distracted by things like this!
The key is to focus. It might not be for long, if you’re leaving your office door open, but focus is vital. I personally have to remind myself on a regular basis. I get distracted while doing research for articles and just as I’m drifting off on a tangent, I glance up and there, right above my computer, is a post-it note that says, “Today I Will FOCUS”. Amazingly, that little purple and pink note keeps me on track. I remember that I’m supposed to be writing, not researching Christmas gifts. I shut down the extra windows and I focus on what I NEED to do.
Sometimes having a list isn’t enough and you need the blatant reminder that you get off track too much. Put a photo of the Hawaiian vacation you are saving for, hang a picture of the kids Photoshopped in front of Harvard . . . whatever it is that reminds you of what you need to be doing will work. Even if it’s a messy note with colorful letters simply telling you to focus today.
You make a good point. Focus can be extremely hard, especially if you work at home! There are so many distractions at home like your bed, TVs, food, etc..
What helps me is to remember that this is work, so I treat it like a job. I set working hours, close my office door, and get to work… It’s still hard to focus sometimes though…
I’d be able to focus a LOT better if my kids weren’t constantly in my office.
But then again, that is why I chose to work at home. It’s hard to remember at times though!
Oh do I ever get distracted. I use motivational pictures around my desk too, in fact I think I need some new ones to stick up here.