How to effectively manage distractions

The Daily Drip

There's this weird lie that if you get distracted from your work, well, then you're someone who just can't focus.

The difference between someone who gets distracted easily and someone who can focus for long periods of time isn't just how good that person is at fighting the temptation of distractions, it's how well that person has removed the possibility of distractions from their work.

Sure, you can get better at focusing and blocking out distractions, but that's not 100% effective. You're still fighting temptation. The stronger the temptation, the less likely you are to have success.

What's more important is putting your phone in airplane mode or flipping on "do not disturb" mode on your laptop--or maybe even unplugging your internet modem so you can get some writing done.

The trick is knowing your most common distractions and removing them.

Is it Netflix? Have a friend hold onto your Apple TV until your project is over.

Is it your refrigerator? Make a pact with your partner or roommate to only have healthy food in for the next 30 days.

If you're ambitious and value your work, making rules for yourself will be critical to success.

Saying "I should be better at not being distracted" is not an effective first line of defense.