What on earth can squirrels possibly have to do with time management and getting stuff done? Well, a 'squirrel' is anything that suddenly takes your attention away from what you're working on.
If you've seen Pixar's animated movie 'Up,' you'll know what I'm talking about.
The movie involves a dog (amongst other characters) who in mid sentence will suddenly become distracted by a squirrel! Whenever he sees one go by - no matter what he's in the middle of, he shouts, "Squirrel!" As I write this article, both hubby and I are each working at the kitchen table but we are distracted by a 'squirrel.
' Our 'squirrel' comes in the form of a kitten we are temporarily housing.
Although we're attempting to focus on getting work done, it's difficult to maintain that focus when your big toe suddenly becomes fodder for this cute little thing, or any of the other silly antics the kitten gets into which grabs our attention.
This particular distraction can't be avoided right now.
But 'squirrels' come in many other forms - ones that can be controlled, so it's best to watch out for them.
Here are some examples: People walking by your office - make eye contact with them and the next thing you know you've got a full-blown conversation going on; squirrel! Email alerts - you know those dings and visual alerts that let you know yet another distraction has suddenly shown up in your inbox; squirrel! Telephone rings - you instantly reach for it to answer the call; squirrel! Text message comes in - and no matter what you're doing or with whom you're talking to, you instantly check it, and reply! (I guess that's why it's called instant messaging) Squirrel! Get the idea? These little rascals are seriously cutting into your productivity.
They are the reason it's taking you a lot longer to get stuff done than you thought it would.
If you need to work on something that will require your attention and focus, then stop feeding the squirrels! Close your door and post a note to let people know you NEED uninterrupted time.
Turn off your mail alerts and quit checking your inbox.
Stop answering the phone every time it rings.
Text messaging is usually a personal distraction - you've got important work to do, so make THAT a priority and shut your phone off.
You know you need to do this - so, what's stopping you? I could go on and on about this subject, but I've got a little 'squirrel' that wants to cuddle with me right now.
Just for today, eliminate these distractions and watch your productivity soar.
Now, get on with your day!