Some days it is like you are on fire. You wake up early and get a ton of work done before lunchtime. By the end of the day you really feel accomplished and wonderful. Then there are the days when you just cannot get on track. It is a little past lunch and you have barely touched your to do list. Do not give up because there are ways to turn this situation around and still get a more out of your day.
• Do not allow yourself to have a knee jerk reaction or start panicking. Take five minutes to take stock of your situation. Try and evaluate how far off track you really are and what you realistically need to do to get caught up.
• Select one important task that you can get done. Choose something that you have been putting off or that will really give you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
• Spend one hour focused on this task and this task alone. One hour is enough time for you to see significant progress. Shut off all other distractions and do not check your email for that one hour.
• The next step is to eliminate as many distractions as you can for the rest of the day. Let your phone go to voicemail and only check your email once towards the end of the day. Let colleagues know that you should only be disturbed in an emergency or if you work at home let your family know you need some time without distractions.
• Challenge yourself to get as much done as you can. Write out goals for yourself for the rest of your day and work as hard as you can to achieve those goals.
