Manage your focus not your time
I spend a lot of time in conversation with people who are overwhelmed with the size of the task list, the most common complaint I hear is 'How can I make progress when my task list is always growing?' Often what comes to light is that most people are focusing on the wrong thing just not getting shit done.
Here's some tips on retaining focus
Remove distractions. If you really, really want to get something done them make it the only thing to take your attention. Simple right. So mute the phone and put it somewhere else, turn off the social feeds, remove anything from the workspace that may take you away from the job in hand.
Time block and take breaks. Big tasks are daunting, that's why we avoid them, so break them down into smaller chunks. Done that? Good .. now time block them, set a 45ish min timer and sit down to work. Once the timer goes off, give yourself 5mins to finish of what you are doing and then walk away. Take a 5min break to stretch, breathe, walk around a bit and just re-energise. It's not mistake school lessons are just about 1hr long .. it's about as long as you can really concentrate for.
Organise the desk / workspace. Don't fool yourself that being busy finding the things you need to do the job in hand is in fact doing the job. Make sure you are ready with all the tools, bits and bobs you need to get the job done.
Choose suitable music I hate sitting in silence but equally I don't want to be distracted. So I choose the right music for the right job. If I'm writing it's often something ambient, classical or jazz. I even have the radio on. I can listen to chatter without it really distracting me. If I have music I know I will often stop to sing along. If I'm creating something, editing or shooting .. I'll have high energy, loud music. Squealing guitars and vocals things that will make me stop and shake it out momentarily between breaks !! There's my top four things ... it's a list that is almost endless and you have to find what's right for you .. but how ever you do it focus is the key.
Got any tips add them below ...