After my last post I realized that I failed to cover two more ways to eliminate distractions. The first is something that I have experience with. The other I have not tried, but many successful people seem to do it regularly.
So check out two more ways to eliminate distractions. We'll move on to other types of tips in the next post.
Clean Your Workspace
When I first read about this tip, it sounded crazy to me. Clean my workspace? I don't have time for that. I need to spend more time writing, not waste time cleaning my desk! I can reach the keyboard, see the monitor, and find my notes when I need them.
Cleaning your workspace can reduce future distractions from within your own head.
What does the cleanliness of my workspace have to do with writing?
It turns out that cleaning your workspace can make you much more productive.
How? It is a way to eliminate distractions.
When my subconscious doesn't want to work, it is very good at finding excuses to avoid working. The endless temptation of social media is one good way to avoid work. But even if I have my social media shut down, there are lots of things close at hand to draw my attention.
"Oh yeah" That receipt over there on the corner of the desk. I've gotta file that thing before I forget."
"That dirty plate from my afternoon snack. I should wash that right now. Can't take a chance on getting bugs!"
"I really do need to get back to work on that Raspberry Pi project over there. It has been sitting half-finished for weeks!"
You get the picture. The more stuff that clutters up your workspace, the easier it is to distract yourself with it.
The solution is simple: clean your workspace.
Before you sit down to start working, make sure that your workspace is clean. If you clean up before you start every work session, this should only take a few moments.
How clean does your workspace need to be? To a certain extent, this depends on you. I am pretty weak when it comes to workspace distractions. It is best if I don't have anything interesting in front of me other than what I am supposed to be working on.
You may be stronger or less easy to distract than me. So you might not need to do as thorough a cleanup job. The key is to remove anything that might distract you from your field of view.
Try this tip out for a few days and see what you think.
Eliminate Internal Distractions by Journal Writing
Sometimes the distractions that make it hardest to get productive are in your own head. If you have lots on your mind, or are beating yourself up inside, chances are you won't get any work done. Journal writing might be the solution here.
Journal writing can help you get distractions out of your head.
NOTE: This is not a technique I use myself. I am giving you my interpretation of the things I read and heard about this over the years.
A few moments of journal writing can clear your head. Somehow the act of getting stuff down on paper does the trick. This is true whether you make use of what you wrote, or you ignore it, tear it out of a physical journal, or burn it all.
NOTE: Check out this post for another way getting stuff out of your head and onto paper can make a huge difference.
Conclusion
There we go. Two more tips to help you eliminate distractions and get producing.
Do you have any experience with cleaning your workspace to increase your productivity? Do you use Journal Writing to clear your head? Tell us about it in the comments section.