Get Focused
I am easily distracted.
While writing this post, I checked out the play-by-play of an Indiana Pacers playoff game, my Facebook page, modified how my mobile phone displays apps, and wandered off to get another glass of iced tea.
Photo by me. A stopwatch that was used to time my mother’s swim trials many times back in the 50s. Fun story: It spent ten years in the shop being restored due to a lack of finding a part.
Sometimes this is a good thing. My brain needs to be refreshed every twenty minutes or so. But it is easy to become so distracted that I never get anything done. And that is never helpful to your client.
Here are some tips that have helped me to cut down on this:
Turn off your email and text notifications.
What, you say?!
Few things derail a thinking moment more than a “ding” announcing that someone (you don’t yet know who) has sent you an email or text. You stop thinking, pick up your phone, and see that the message is from a clothing company that is running a sale. Or a text from someone I could easily chat with later.
With most of us receiving dozens of these each day, we spend so much time resetting our minds that we easily fall behind.
While each phone is a bit different, I turned off all notifications for email. No sound, no visual indicator. Just off.
Unless I am waiting for a specific email, there is simply no need to be alerted to them. I will open my email app and look at them when I have time.
I also turned off the sound notification for my texts. Since texts can be a bit more urgent than emails, I did leave on the visual notification indicator. These settings allow me to not be needlessly interrupted.
You CAN Limit Social Media Use.
Everyone says they should do this, right? But it is hard. If I didn’t need to be on social media for real estate, I probably would delete the app. It is addictive.
But there is hope.
You can install the phone app AppBlock which allows you to set a limit to how long you can be on Facebook, Instagram, or any number of social media apps.
I have mine set to no more than ten minutes per hour until evening. Then I have two hours to play. When you reach the limit, it blacks out the app and forces you to leave. It is available on both Android and IOS.
A similar app is available for my desktop and laptop. The StayFocused extension for Chrome is available. Similar apps and extensions are available, depending on the phone and browsers you use.
Turn off the phone.
There are times during the day when I simply turn off my phone ringer so that I can get a project finished.
Some agents tell their clients and other agents that they are available to chat only at certain times during the day. That approach doesn’t seem quite right for my clients, frankly, but it is one way to handle the random interruptions.
Regardless of your approach, it is important to respond to your clients as soon as is possible. Just do it in a way so that you can get your work finished.
Take a Walk
My office building is adjacent to a shopping complex. I take one or two walk through the mall to convince my muscles they still exist.
But I find that it clears my mind a bit and allows me to think about a problem or possibility a bit more thoughtfully than sitting at my desk.
These are just a few quick and easy suggestions, but I’m always looking for more!