3 Brain Strategies To Use Distractions To Increase Your Business Productivity

Imagine you're going down the path of doing something for your business. Suddenly a squirrel runs across the path in front of you. “Oooh, a squirrel!” You say. 

 

And instead of carrying on down the path, doing what you were doing, your attention goes to the little fluffy thing, following where it went. Now you’re looking around up in the trees and you’ve stopped walking down the path.

 

 

What are unicorns, squirrels, and shiny things in business? They are all just funny ways of saying you got distracted.

Now if you’re growing a business, distractions are the enemy to productivity, right? They don’t have to be. 

 

Here are 3 brain strategies to use to understand why you’re getting distracted, and to use those patterns to increase your business productivity. 

 

 

 

First, you need to get your mindset right. Distractions can help you be more productive in your business if you understand why you’re getting distracted. 

 

Your brain naturally works to protect you and sometimes getting distracted is one of the ways your brain is sending you a message. A message to pay attention to. 

So when you start to see unicorns, squirrels, or shiny things everywhere, it’s a sign that you are overdoing something.  

 

It's a very powerful way of getting you to recenter and get back to doing the right things.

 

It's OK to be distracted. Sometimes people feel bad for being distracted. So you have to remember that even though you are a superstar entrepreneur, you are also a human and you are going to be distracted.

 

The first brain strategy is to understand what distractions are, and why they are happening to you. That’s how you can navigate them well, and be more productive in your growing business.

 

Remember to consider your bandwidth. Your bandwidth is what draws on you to do things in your business. 

 

When you are racing along the productivity hamster wheel and you don't allow for times of buffering then you set yourself up to get distracted very easily.  And this usually happens to entrepreneurs when you’ve been doing something heavy. 

 

It’s easy to go from one heavy thing to another to another and then your brain just tells you enough is enough. 

 

 

One practical method is to stack the heaviest things earlier in the week and earlier in the day. Start with the most challenging stuff when your brain is most active. 

 

For example, the Monday to Wednesday space will be a lot heavier than Thursday to Friday. And mornings will be much heavier than the afternoons which are more "cruise on down" feeling.

 

Another practical method calendar strategy is to put big chunks of rest time into your day or have a “Unicorn Day” scheduled into your calendar.

 

Setting time aside in your calendar for buffering is one of the strategies to be more productive in your business.

 

 

When you notice the distractions coming in fast and furious, it might be time to put some distance between you and the task. Don’t use the time to find a shiny unicorn. Use it to free up your mind and to recalibrate.

 

Do something physical like taking a walk around the block or doing some chores around the house. 

 

Sleep is another way to recalibrate and recharge.  You have the ability to think clearer and work better when you have slept. It could be an overnight sleep or a 10 to 15-minute power nap. Just allowing yourself to chill out will actually help your business to grow.

 

But as an entrepreneur, you just have to be careful about when you're allowing these distractions. For example, team meetings are not a good time to allow for distractions. 

 

Allow yourself the freedom to have the time to be distracted or to take a little break. Listen to the message your brain is sending you. It will help you be more productive in your business later on.

 

Distractions are not always bad things. You just have to be careful about when you're allowing them in your schedule.  

 

If you missed the conversation between Kim and Kerry on their podcast Buckets and Boom Gates, you can catch it here.

 

Are you ready to join a community of entrepreneurs who are serious about being more productive in life and business? Join our Groundwork Brigade - a place to practice these brain strategies and grow your business into one that you love. 

 

To connect and find out more about Kim or how to create a sexy business for a sexy life, you can reach her and the My Sexy Business Team at www.mysexybusiness.com 

 

And to connect with Kerry Zarb go straight to her website www.kerryzarb.com and you’ll find her there!