One of the hardest things about working independently is staying on track.  It’s just so easy to get distracted, especially if you work from home.  Emails, phone calls, facebook, twitter...it all needs to have a “space” for dedicated time and attention.

Below I have outlined 5 great ways for you to stay focused and on task.

Know your goals

I actually have a time every day, one hour to be exact, when all I do is get focused, make notes, and gather my thoughts.   This can sound unproductive at first glance, but it’s a life saver.  There is a great saying that states “people who aim for nothing usually hit it”.   I agree, yet people fail to recognize this truth all too often.

Knowing what you are aiming for is a must for work and accomplishment.  If you don’t sit down every day, and identify what it is you really need/want to do, you’re almost assured of missing something.

Commit to others, commit to self

When I sit down each day, I actually ask two questions.  One, what do I WANT to do today.  And two, what do I NEED to do today.  This is quite the battle of wants/needs.  It’s never ending actually.   But the value of doing things you are really excited about has immeasurable weight. 

We all know that doing the daily grind, though you may love what you do, can still be numbing at times.  It’s really great to get excited about something, if even for an hour or two of your day.

It’s important to factor in your wants co-equally to your needs in this regard.  Enjoying what you are doing keeps the quality of your work at its best, and in fact, can make you MORE productive than just staying on something you are half-heartedly focused on all day. 

So, split your day up some, and toss in some enjoyable “me” time. This can be a new project idea, design, or even blogging - anything that breaks up the “job” and spices up your day with activities that really charge you.

Fit it all in

Well, we know this isn’t possible.  There are only so many hours in a week, and hopefully, supply and demand are finding you short of time.  

Having said that, though, the best way to not get overwhelmed is to manage your time and manage your availability.

When looking at your week, make sure to map it out.  Use a calendar to plot out your time and dedicated availability for certain tasks.  
A good example of this is emails.  

You could stop what you are doing throughout your day and respond to every email that pipes through to your iPhone, but should you?  No.

It’s “ok” to let it wait.  That email will still be there when you sit down to respond to all emails once or twice a day.

Stick to the plan!

Again, there certainly are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, distraction is the enemy!

You take the time to sit down and map out your day each day.  The tough part sometimes is just sticking to it, but this is essential to staying on task and being productive.

If you find yourself off task too often, then it may be time to evaluate your planning projections and intentionally pad more “space” into your day to allow for a margin of distraction.  

Either way, making sure your calendar is accurate as it can be is a life saver.

One great way to stick to your plan and avoid distractions is the ever wonderful invention of Post-it Notes!

Jot it down and move on!  What a novel idea!  These little puppies are a must have.  Yes, it’s true...they can mess up your uber neat and clean Mac sponsored office...but hey...better a little yellow in your office than forgetting to call that client back or letting a genius idea get away!

Be realistic!

Sometimes...you just can NOT fit it all in.  Being idealistic about your time management can really hurt your business. 

Some time ago, I did quite a large job for a client.  I had planned out the timeline and promised them a timely turnaround.  Unfortunately for me, I failed to account for MOVING in the middle of it.   The new house was great...apologizing and PR was not.

This is a case in point of taking the time to sit down, be realistic and objective about what all is happening that month/week/day, and map it out.

You can only do what you can do.  

Every client understands this.  What they don’t quite understand (and shouldn’t have to understand) is missing timelines and making excuses.

Chad Cantrell

Designer, Programmer, Author, Digital Strategist.