The title of this post says it all: No Distractions. This of course is one of the best ways to avoid procrastination, but that’s a lot easier said than done. So with that being said, how can it be done?
First things first is you obviously want to remove the big distractions like your phone. Something about that little computer that we put in our pockets is just so attractive to us, and we can’t help but pick it up and look at it every few moments. The best thing you can do is set your phone to Do Not Disturb mode — that way your selected contacts can reach you if there’s an emergency, but you won’t get constant notifications from your other apps. I’ve found this helps a ton because I can remind myself that I’m still in touch with people if they need me, and I can comfortably set the phone down.
Another smart idea is to create a space specifically for getting work done. Funnily enough we see examples of this in comic books. Things would be a lot easier to get done if we all had our own batcave or superhero mansion. Unfortunately, most of us don’t, so instead we need to figure out how to efficiently use our space or divide it properly. Ideally you would have… well, a batcave with a huge library, a desk with all the room you could possibly need, your own personal gym, and a way to work from that room. Instead, we have to settle for less. Maybe you have a set of dumbbells you keep in your room so that you can use them during your breaks from paperwork, or some space in your backyard for you to exercise.
I also STRONGLY recommend spending some money on a nice desk. This will allow you to lay your things out so you can see all of them at once, and therefore won’t have to spend time digging through drawers and whatnot to find a pen. For people who do a lot of work with pen and paper, this is quite literally a way for you to lay your thoughts out and sort through them.
So you have your two main things to focus on: exercise and work/school. The task now is to essentially create a space where you can do these two things to grow your mind and body. Alternatively, you could also divide your “progress areas” between multiple locations. If you lack the space at home, this is probably the best idea for you because you’re borrowing space from others. Maybe you have a gym you could go to with weights and punching bags, but at work you have your own office. You could also consider buying a backpack so you could take your work to a local library or something that’s made for people to study. Then at home you could use your kitchen table for a little bit of work and maybe you have a set of weights to use in addition to calisthenics on the days you can’t make it to the gym.
If you divide your spaces up like this, procrastination goes out the window. You could wake up an hour or two before work to get ready, then you could go and get that done. Afterwards you could go straight to the gym (which is the best way to do that — otherwise you’ll get relaxed at home). Finally you go home and use your space to do some recovery exercises and finish up that last bit of work you had to do. In short, you’re giving each activity a specific space.
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We’ll explore ideas like these more in future blog posts, so definitely be sure to think of questions that you can leave in the comment section. Leaving questions and feedback allows me to understand what I should address next, which is a good thing for both of us. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Tik Tok , Facebook, and Twitter @iamchrisgoode so that we can grow our community!
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The headspace is what I’ve found to be crucial to getting it done. When I allow myself to accept that I am worthy of investing in, in both time and space, I find ways to get after it. Thank you for writing about this.
For keeping up energy during the day, even if you have to set alarms on the laptop or kitchen oven, for every 50 minutes you sit, hunched over your work, stand up, shake out your arms, walk around, clear your mind, touch your toes, stretch, whatever you can physically do for 5-10 minutes. YouTube has a lot of physical therapist videos on stretching trapezious muscles.
***Of course, water, plain old water, needs to be drank throughout the day. It helps every part if your body work better. If plain water ain’t your schtick, squeeze a little lemon juice in to add vitamin C.