You WILL get distracted- And some days, there’s nothing you can do about it…

Let’s just get right to the point here before something else tries to grab our attention. No matter how much you lock down your day, no matter how many systems and routines you have in place, there are just going to be some days when distractions win, and you lose all momentum.

We can create theme days, set timers, color code our calendar, block out time for various tasks and more. But in reality, there are just going to be times when you get thrown off your game and by the end of the day, everything that you set out to do, will in some form, not be completed at all. Or those tasks will take you much longer than you set out.

As someone who wrote a book with the title, Overcoming Distractions, it is hard for me to admit this, but it is just a reality check. I’ve interviewed countless people and professionals who work in the area of productivity and ADHD. And for many of us, staying on course can be a battle some days. Even with buttoned up systems and habits.

Aside from me being a writer for myself, I also do extensive work for clients in the area of content generation. And some of those client relationships are a bit more than that, having me oversee a host of marketing activities. In this age of evolving and changing marketing and public relations tactics, it has just become part of the territory. And when they need something, many instances they require my attention immediately.

Most of us also have family commitments and while we can do our best to tell our family that we are working, there are just some times when those commitments take a priority. Some things require your attention even during your blocked out times for working. Again, just a fact of life.

And the year 2020 has caused some of the most profound distractions in our lifetime.

Reality check- Not every day is going to play out the way you planned it.

How do we rebound after getting distracted?

At some point, you need to get back on track. Some of us rebound much easier than others. I envy those who can just go right back to what they were doing like nothing happened. I’m not wired that way. If it is just a quick phone call, then maybe I can get right back in the zone but if it is a series of distractions, it sometimes takes a little more effort to get back in the game.

I write a lot. And I need to get in the zone to write. Call it flow, or in the world of ADHD, some of us call the zone, hyperfocus. And when I get distracted, it can take some energy to get that zone back. I’ve found a few ways to help me get that zone back.

Walk away

Sometimes the best approach is to push that office chair out from under you, get up and walk away. No sense in banging your head against your desk trying to grunt out any type of quality work. Recognize it, deal with it and get up and walk out for a few. Sticking around at your desk when you have been thrown off by distractions can sometimes make tasks and projects take so much longer. Instead of spending hours working on something that should take a fraction of the time, change up your scenery for a bit and regroup. Nothing of quality can come from hours of uninspired work. If you’re not in the mood, then push it off for a while.

Accept it

Try hard not to beat yourself up for getting thrown off track. Bad days happen and everyone needs to accept that reality. You do nothing by engaging in negative self-talk. If you are often thrown off by distractions and regularly engage in talking to yourself in a negative tone, you need to find ways to find the power of positive self-talk. Learn to find get yourself back on track by speaking in a positive tone. And quite frankly, shit happens and we just need to get comfortable with that fact. Accept it, own it, and find your own way of getting back to your desk in a productive manner.

Go back to basics

I am not a professional time management consultant but in my opinion, and in the opinion of an adult with ADHD (that’s me…,) just getting back to the basics helps a lot in salvaging a distracted day.

A few ways that I get back on track are, cleaning my desk, shutting my door, setting a timer such as a Pomodoro Timer and clearing out items such as emails and phone call to make sure that those don’t interfere again. You can also implement a variation of Parkinson’s Law and tell yourself that your task or project will be done at a specific time. I will finish this project by XX o’clock.

Take a walk, go to the gym or even throw some cold water on your face. (yes, I do that quite a bit…)

Eat something. If you are hungry, that’s a huge distraction. Get a snack, grab a glass of water and get refreshed. We don’t often call hunger a distraction, but it is.

And sometimes, it is all about getting your mindset in place. If you have told yourself that there’s no use in trying or getting started again, then that’s what will happen. Nothing.

There is always tomorrow

I’m a big fan of starting fresh in the morning. And while I am not always up at the crack of dawn, I do love getting right to work after a good night’s sleep. My brain is fresh, I’m more creative in the morning and I can think much more clearly after a refreshing sleep. Projects get done much faster and with less mistakes.

If you’ve lost all your mojo on a particular day, there’s no harm in starting fresh tomorrow.