When we wake up in the morning we may have the best of intentions to be productive, hoping to make significant progress towards achieving a goal….. but just before getting started we get sucked into checking a notification that pops up on our phone and before moving on another pop-up of interest appears…and then another…and somehow we find ourselves flipping through our social media in an endless spiral of distraction…
… and it doesn’t take long for the day to fly by and leave us wondering what happened? Where did the day go?
There is a simple habit we can work on that can help us avoid getting switched into autopilot, allowing us to stay intentional with our time and make progress on the items of greatest importance to us.
Taking a Moment to Decide:
- Nothing beats having a plan to help with staying on track.
- Creating a Top 3 or 5 priority item hit list each day can help with focusing our attention.
- After completing a task, avoid the temptations to click on the next notification that pops up, (could be an e-mail, text, ad..etc.) Rather use this as an opportunity to take a pause, take a deep breath, and recognize your accomplishment!
- Complete an energy check. Taking time to ensure your fully hydrated, adequately fueled, revved up and ready to go, possibly through including some physical activity, can make tackling the next item on your list a little more easier and enjoyable.
- Decide what you will do next which may be the next priority item on your list or possibly intentional address some of the routine tasks like checking your e-mail inbox. The important note here is being intentional with your time, focus on the task at hand and get it done!
Wash, rinse and repeat! It’s that simple! Taking a pause, adding a little mindfulness, writing down your intentions for the day, track what you accomplish, and then consider what you want to do next.
I promise you, by avoiding the pull towards autopilot, you will be making more efficient use of your time and spending more of it focusing on what’s most important to you. This is how we can ensure we’re continually taking the small steps required to turn our dreams into reality. Making it happen!
The trick is remembering. How will you remember to take a moment to decide after every task?
And how powerful would it be if you do?