Last Thursday, I had a project I was working on with a very tight deadline. And I did something I have never done before. I turned off my phone for most of the day, and I didn't check my email.

I didn't take any calls or read any emails until later in the day, and focused on what I had to do to make sure I met the deadline with no distractions.

Around 5:00 in the afternoon, I checked my phone messages and returned all the calls. Then later that evening, I checked my email and responded to emails that required a response.

In a nutshell, I unplugged for a day and my business did not suffer as a result. My clients were taken care of and everyone was happy ... including me because I completed the project and met the deadline.

As a business owner, it is important that you don't let everyday distractions zap your productivity. You have so many things vying for your attention. There are constant interruptions from employees, email, incoming phone calls, and other things.

Add to that all the other distractions that everyone has like iPhone apps, Google, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, the internet, and anything else that can distract you from what you need to be doing.

All of these distractions can increase your stress level, decrease your productivity, make you more impatient, and shorten your attention span.

A recent study showed that the average attention span had fallen to just 5 minutes. That's down from 12 minutes 10 years ago.

Being easily distracted, a short attention span, and inability to focus on one task at a time can have a tremendous impact on your productivity. It has been proven time and again that multi-tasking doesn't work. People who multi-task actually take longer to complete most tasks.

Here are four tips to help you rid yourself of unnecessary distractions:

1. Slow down. Spend some time reflecting rather than reacting. Take one minute periodically to check yourself and meditate.

2. Minimize the distractions. Get rid of unnecessary email. Unsubscribe to any emails that aren't contributing to your ultimate goal. Turn off your phone periodically so you can focus on your work. Disconnect your laptop from the internet.

3. Do one thing at a time and don't allow yourself to be distracted by "shiny things".

4. Don't place more importance on things than they actually deserve.

 

To Your Success,