When you’re working on a project, distraction can sometimes be a problem. For some people, it can be a pattern. You might find that you get distracted and seem to lose focus during specific points in a project.
You reach the halfway point and suddenly feel bored like you couldn’t possibly come up with anything else to do, write or say. Progress comes to a halt. Or, it could be that you get almost to the end of the project and then you start worrying.
You worry whether it’s good enough and whether you did everything right. You wonder if you missed a step or what you could do in order to make it better. Whatever runs through your mind, the result is the same.
You’re distracted and the project isn’t finished. To overcome this, you have to learn to break the pattern and it is possible. First, you need to figure out if the problem is what’s going on around you or within you.
If you’re having trouble completing a project because you always get distracted, you have to figure out where the distraction is coming from. If it’s within yourself, it could be anxiety or fear of failure or even fear of success that makes you drag your feet.
You would address these issues by acknowledging the struggle. When you name and confront something, you can deal with it. Make sure you’re not practicing negative self-talk about the project like you’ll never get this finished, you’re not good enough to get it done, etc.
Focus on the success you’ve already had rather than looking at what you haven’t accomplished. This will give you a sense of empowerment that stops internal distractions.
If the distraction is around you rather than within you, then you have to stop whatever is affecting you because it’s related to cause and effect. The cause brings about the effect it has on your productivity.
Usually, these kinds of distractions are things like noise or other people. It can sometimes be that you don’t have the knowledge that you need to feel confident in the project.
When distractions are external, you can stop or prevent them. Use earbuds to block out the noise – pr a white noise machine. Find a people-free area to work in. If this is an office, put up a do not disturb sign and lock the door.
When the issue is a lack of knowledge, study what you need to know prior to beginning the project. Plan your project. Having a list to follow can help keep you on track. Set specific goals and deadlines for accomplishing those goals.
Make your work area distraction free. No cell phones and no internet if you can do the project without it. If you know that you get distracted at a certain point regardless of what you do, set that time as your scheduled break. Then when the break is over, get back to work.
