Marketing Tip - Take Control Of Your Time

It can take 20 long minutes to regain total focus after you’ve been interrupted. No matter what kind of tax resolution-related work you’re doing, finding a way to eliminate the distractions in your environment will help you better manage your time and improve your productivity. (Time is money!)

Perhaps the biggest distraction in our work environment is technology. Nearly everyone has a smartphone full of apps with notifications and alerts built-in. These alerts can be hugely distracting — especially if the applications open are more interesting to you than the work you’re trying to do. If you can’t control the urge to check your Facebook or Twitter from your phone, turn it off, put it away, and only take it out on breaks.

Are you the kind of person who has 100 different tabs open in your browser at once? Exit the unessential tabs and close the programs you aren’t presently using. If your digital clutter is cleared, you’ll have fewer opportunities for distracted clicking. If it’s email and chats that get in your way, resolve only to check and respond to them strictly at designated times — like once in the morning and once mid-day — to avoid the temptation.

In addition to clearing the digital clutter, it’s a good idea to clear your environment of the physical clutter as well.

A workplace with walls, desks, and tables full of things to entice the eye will do just that. Keep surfaces clear to ensure your eyes are on your work and not wandering. A very minimal approach to decorating is optimal for productivity. This doesn’t mean your workspace has to be boring — try choosing a small plant for your desk to bring a calming element indoors, and one piece of art that won’t send you too far down the rabbit hole.

If it’s other people that distract you the most, communicate clearly with everyone when you need interruption-free time. This could mean putting up a sign, posting your quiet time to your public calendar, signaling your intentions by wearing noise-canceling headphones, or setting an away message on your chats, or by simply closing the door to your space. However subtle, you’ll need to somehow let others around you know that this time is your productivity time, and you are not to be disturbed.

Your productivity matters, and outside forces can often take over your attention at the most inopportune moments. If you are serious about improving your productivity, you must first be serious about eliminating the distractions around you and taking the initiative to make focus a priority.

This blog post is a powerful reminder that you are in control of your time. Don't waste it!