“Never mistake motion for action.” – Ernest Hemingway. Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and wondered what they heck you did all day? You know you were busy, but don’t feel like you really accomplished any one thing of substance. Distractions like Facebook, Twitter, email, and TV are far too easy to succumb to if you don’t have a firm plan in place. Sometimes on my writing days I self-sabotage by finding every distraction I can. “Ohhh”, I think, “I’d better get some hot chocolate before I start writing, and then I’d better check my email one more time just in case anything important has come up (even though I’d just checked it minutes earlier), and then I’d better switch the laundry over” etc., etc. This is what happens unless I have a well-conceived plan in place and am able to laser focus my brain on the important task at hand.
What helps to avoid distraction pitfalls and days of spinning your wheels is to develop a plan for yourself. Whether you work or stay home, we all have tons of things to do. So, sit down in the morning, or the night before, and make a to-do list, prioritized with the most important things first. It sounds simple, but we don’t always do this even when we know it would help.
There are a few reasons why this is essential for any busy woman. First of all, it helps you prioritize what you really need to get done in your day. Even if you only accomplish the first few things on your list, you can still consider it a successful day because you got the most imperative things done. Second, it helps you focus in. There are so many things that want to sidetrack our attention that without a clear plan, any human can get sucked into a dozen different distractions.
Your to-do list should be prioritized and realistic, and it should help you accomplish what you really want and need to do with your life. It should help you move in the direction of your dreams, or just help you be effective and get some stuff done.
Good luck!
