While I've never been formally diagnosed being a little super distracted, I consider myself border line and quite an easily distracted person. I can have about fourteen things going on at once when I'm home working. I was this way when I worked before having kids, too. I bounce from thing to thing...it's quite ridiculous. My mom always said I was a VERY active child - busy.
Have you got this problem? I've gotten a lot of emails from readers telling me how easily distracted they are and can't get organizing done. But, I tell you it's possible. I'm living proof! You see...when I write a post here on the blog, I literally start and stop it several dozen times. I can't just sit here and write out an entire post, edit photos, and get it set and post. I have to sit down and set my timer for 20-30 minutes. I work on writing or editing, but in the midst of it get distracted by Facebook, emails, Instagram, and other things around me. When my timer goes off, I get up and do some work around the house. A small task - cleaning a counter, putting fresh sheets on a bed, changing a load of laundry, something. Then, I go back and work again. But, I go back to what I started working on. I set timers - a LOT! They are my saving grace for blogging and working from home because I'm so easily distracted and bounce around so much. You may notice that I prefer less writing and more pictures when blogging, normally -- that's on purpose. I can hardly follow a blog post that is loaded with paragraph after paragraph of reading and a few sparse pictures. I want to get on to the pictures....show me the good stuff. Don't explain every little thing! I am also not big into reading - just never have been. Just don't like sitting down reading a bunch of words that go on and on...is that you? I can focus on reading my Bible and that's the only Book I'm happy to read.
There is actually a big plus to all this, in my opinion. Because of my distractions, I plan ahead. I get posts started and planned out weeks ahead of time. So, instead of looking at my distracted ways as a negative, I've turned it into a positive. I can start and stop midway through many of them and it's OK. The important part is that I FINISH them...FINISHing is key!
It's that way when I organize. I love to organize. But, often I can get in the middle of organizing a whole room and think "why did I get this started?" That's because, for me, I shouldn't do a whole room at once. I need to take small sections and sometimes it's best for me to organize spontaneously, rather than set myself up for doing it in a planned way - I actually wind up organizing better.
I have a few resources for you easily distracted, want-to-be organizers! These books are a great start to helping you.
Last, as the all-natural-organic girl, I would seriously recommend that you look into your diet and what you put into your body. There are a BUNCH of studies and articles about how many of the foods we eat {or our kids}, that DO affect us. I also use an essential oil blend, nearly daily now, called "Focus Blend" that has helped me keep much more focused - you can diffuse it or you can rub on your feet {that's where I put it} and/or back of neck. It's GREAT for kids to use while at school.
So, all this to say that this is no longer an excuse for you! You can do this! You can organize even if you are totally distracted a lot. Below I have a list of resources that I used to help me write this post. I have to say, I have classic symptoms when I started reading through all the resources. But, I would never use it as an excuse, even if I DID have it. I have found ways to make myself learn to be more self controlled and deal with the distractions in a positive way.
Here are a few key points that I took away from these resources:
What do you think? Is this something you struggle with? Are you willing to try some of these steps to help you?
Have you got this problem? I've gotten a lot of emails from readers telling me how easily distracted they are and can't get organizing done. But, I tell you it's possible. I'm living proof! You see...when I write a post here on the blog, I literally start and stop it several dozen times. I can't just sit here and write out an entire post, edit photos, and get it set and post. I have to sit down and set my timer for 20-30 minutes. I work on writing or editing, but in the midst of it get distracted by Facebook, emails, Instagram, and other things around me. When my timer goes off, I get up and do some work around the house. A small task - cleaning a counter, putting fresh sheets on a bed, changing a load of laundry, something. Then, I go back and work again. But, I go back to what I started working on. I set timers - a LOT! They are my saving grace for blogging and working from home because I'm so easily distracted and bounce around so much. You may notice that I prefer less writing and more pictures when blogging, normally -- that's on purpose. I can hardly follow a blog post that is loaded with paragraph after paragraph of reading and a few sparse pictures. I want to get on to the pictures....show me the good stuff. Don't explain every little thing! I am also not big into reading - just never have been. Just don't like sitting down reading a bunch of words that go on and on...is that you? I can focus on reading my Bible and that's the only Book I'm happy to read.
There is actually a big plus to all this, in my opinion. Because of my distractions, I plan ahead. I get posts started and planned out weeks ahead of time. So, instead of looking at my distracted ways as a negative, I've turned it into a positive. I can start and stop midway through many of them and it's OK. The important part is that I FINISH them...FINISHing is key!
It's that way when I organize. I love to organize. But, often I can get in the middle of organizing a whole room and think "why did I get this started?" That's because, for me, I shouldn't do a whole room at once. I need to take small sections and sometimes it's best for me to organize spontaneously, rather than set myself up for doing it in a planned way - I actually wind up organizing better.
I have a few resources for you easily distracted, want-to-be organizers! These books are a great start to helping you.
- Natural Alternatives
- Organizing Solutions for People with
- The Disorganized Mind: Coaching your
- 4 Weeks to and Organized Life with
Last, as the all-natural-organic girl, I would seriously recommend that you look into your diet and what you put into your body. There are a BUNCH of studies and articles about how many of the foods we eat {or our kids}, that DO affect us. I also use an essential oil blend, nearly daily now, called "Focus Blend" that has helped me keep much more focused - you can diffuse it or you can rub on your feet {that's where I put it} and/or back of neck. It's GREAT for kids to use while at school.
So, all this to say that this is no longer an excuse for you! You can do this! You can organize even if you are totally distracted a lot. Below I have a list of resources that I used to help me write this post. I have to say, I have classic symptoms when I started reading through all the resources. But, I would never use it as an excuse, even if I DID have it. I have found ways to make myself learn to be more self controlled and deal with the distractions in a positive way.
Here are a few key points that I took away from these resources:
- Write things down, digitally or on paper. Collecting your thoughts. {I write down everything in Cozi - seriously, I have to or I forget}
- Take at least 15-30 minutes each day just to declutter {whether you break it up into 5 minutes at a time or all at once}.
- Have a structured, daily schedule. This is SUPER important to me. If I don't do this, I really don't get much done.
- Write down your list of to-do's in priority order.
- Break up tasks. Like I told you earlier, I must set my timer and actually DO something else when the timer goes off, then come back to what I started. It really works well. But, never move on from that task unless it's done. FINISHing is key!
- Planning ahead. This is what I told you above, also, that I plan WAY ahead because I can get stressed and scatter brained. It's true. If you've ever been around me when I just can't think, I have to literally stop thinking and move on so that I can have some peace to ration out my thoughts. I sit down each night and look over my schedule for the next day and come up with alternate plans should something not work out...of course, sometimes it's completely different, but it helps me stay focused on getting things done.
Resource to help you even more:
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