One Simple Tip For Eliminating Distractions and Gaining More Freedom In Your Schedule
We are bombarded by notifications when working on our digital devices - so much so that it’s no wonder we vent frustration at how distracting it can be to get our work done on these gadgets that are supposed to help increase our productivity.
While this is a just cause for the rationalization of using the perfect technology that is a notebook and pen, many things can be only done with proficiency on our computers.
Whether it’s coding, or editing videos, or typing out the manuscript to your bestseller, our computers are undoubtedly better at getting the work done for us for many of the tasks that we do today.
So how do we handle all the incoming swaddle to stay focused and flow with our work?
By giving ourselves more freedom.
First, Why Is This Important?
In Cal Newport’s excellent book Deep Work, he argues that as more and more jobs become automated with robotics, it’s going to be the knowledge work that only humans can do that becomes essential and even more valuable. To really excel with this work though requires sustained focus to both get the work done and also find the creativity that is uniquely human and needed to be masterful at deep work.
Apart from this, we know that becoming more mindful benefits us for a whole host of reasons and that our digital devices are an enticing distraction from practicing more presence and calm.
And if all of that is not enough, being in better control of our work allows us to accomplish more in less time which will allow us the freedom to do what we please with the extra time on our hands.
Discipline Equals Freedom
There are several apps and devices settings that we can use these days to create a more disciplined and controlled environment on our devices.
Instead of having a Swiss Army knife at your disposal, we can control our devices to be more like the simple pocket knife and in doing so have the right tool at the right time.
The best app that I have found for creating more structure from the free-for-all is Freedom. This app works across all devices and platforms to synchronize block times to restrict access to certain apps and websites (or all of it at once).
Freedom works well for developing the habit of staying off of certain apps during work hours or keeping yourself off of the internet at a set time during the day.
The way I use Freedom is to block access to all websites and email for myself from 8 AM to 10:30 AM every morning. Now, I don’t have a problem checking email or going on social media before this time, so I didn’t set up the restriction for any earlier, but if you struggle with that urge yourself, then a morning Deep Work session with no internet access going all the way to your wake up time is the better way to go.
If I’m struggling to stay off of sites in the early afternoon, I will also set up a Freedom session at that time to restrict things like email and social media pages with a little more access to internet searches if I’m looking things up. As a note though, it’s always better to automate this process so that you’re not trying to process the thought of turning off social media at the time you’re already the most distracted.
The Freedom app does cost a little bit - there’s an annual fee or a lifetime purchase option for Freedom but the amount of extra focus and work you get done means you’ll have paid for the app within just a few hours of your deep work time.
I would also point out that taking the cognitive load off of yourself for the first couple of months of using Freedom will ingrain the habit to the point that you’ll no longer feel the urge to jump on the internet during your Freedom time when you’re supposed to be getting into Deep Work. So you could just purchase it for a few months and then stop using Freedom but use your discretion at whether this will work for you or not. On devices that I don’t have freedom set up on I still abide by my no internet rule automatically now when I’m in offline mode after having formed that habit.
Notifications Off and Screen Time Limiting
There are very few notifications that we “need” to have come into our devices and so I would strongly suggest you turn off all notifications other than phone calls and maybe messages (although arguably you don’t need these on either).
A few other notifications you may want to keep on:
Calendar
Reminders
Health and Wellness Pings
Other than those, notifications will pull you out of flow too often to be considered valuable to have on your devices.
The other thing to set up is a screen time limit or a bedtime set up on your device. IOS offers these now and you can set it up similar on Android. When you hit certain limits during the day, like when you’re supposed to wind down before bed, your phone will go into a screen time limit mode where it will ask you to verify that you want to open an app before unlocking it. This can help to give you the pause to think about whether you really need to be on your device anymore or if you should be asleep or getting ready for bed.
Extending this screen time limit is the morning can be a game-changer to not checking your phone right away upon waking if you find that’s something you do a lot. Give yourself at least an hour in the morning with your limit in place to wake up with a more deliberate morning routine.
Giving yourself more freedom on your digital devices comes from deliberate action to restrict the rapid swiping and incoming notifications.
Technology can be incredible for productivity and you can spend most of your day in flow even with these powerfully distracting tools if you just start with a little more discipline and a little more freedom.
Getting Back On Track After COVID-19
It has been over 100 days since Canada was struck down by COVID-19 and the world changed forever. Things are different now, the new normal, as it has been known means a lot of different things to a lot of people but the one consistent thing is that we have to adapt to survive and thrive.
Admit it, there were times over the last several months that were not very productive for you. Tiger King ate up a weekend here, TikTok an hour at a time there, and throughout it all, there was an impending sense of doom weighing on your chest.
As dramatic as this all sounds, it has been the reality for most people that I've talked to and coached through this time.
But the past doesn't have to dictate the present, nor the future, and if you are looking to accomplish your Dream Goals, you will more often than not have to face things in just this way.
So how do we return to performing our best and being productive again? Or if you recognize that you aren't the best as productivity, then how can you use the past several months are fuel for living a more meaningful life?
Reflect on what you've learned in the past several months
The first thing that we must do is set aside some time to reflect on what we've learned during the past several months. Make this tangible for yourself. I use an hour or so Sunday morning every week to reflect and review each week and then on a monthly and quarterly basis, I do an even deeper reflection that often lasts several hours. Right now I want to you schedule an hour for reflection into your calendar this Sunday morning - or another time if it works better for you but do it now. Don't leave it unscheduled and expect it to get done.
The power of reflection is not to be underestimated when it comes to holding yourself accountable, learning to overcome obstacles, and making progress.
We've all been through incredibly difficult times in the last hundred days. Businesses are hanging on by a thread and a prayer, our friends and loved ones have become sick and died, we've been disconnected from the social bonds that keep us sane, and our financial turmoil has stressed us.
This is not meant to be a doom and gloom message to you though. Yes, it has been hard, but what have you learned from this? If you're reading this, it means that you're still breathing and you've still got access to one of the most powerful technological advances humans have ever created with the internet.
During your reflection, you can write about what you've learned from the negative but also look at the positive things you have learned or experienced.
Who have you been able to connect or reconnect with?
What interests or actives have sparked creativity and passion in you?
What have you created or what did you hope to create during this time?
Instead of getting down on yourself, look at what you want to accomplish next in your life.
As I mentioned in the introduction, most people have not used the extra time on their hands to accomplish anything very meaningful during the COVid-19 quarantine. But don't get down on yourself about it. The stress and anxiety of the times were physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining and did not make it easy for anyone to have the desire to pump out ideas or create the next great tech platform.
Let's look at what you can do to move forward from here and accomplish next in your life.
Did something spark your interest and passion? Of course, one of the most common plans of all is that maybe you want to exercise more and get in better shape. It could be that you wanted to create a side hustle that you're more passionate about than the work you currently earn a living from, or you want to connect better with your loved ones and friends.
Whatever ideas came to mind that you've reflected upon are great and meaningful to what you want to work on accomplishing next in your life.
Now the trick is to create simple steps to build momentum.
Don't try to pile too much on your plate.
Maybe work is also picking back up now or deferred bills are coming due. You've got to look at your Whole Life to know how much more you can handle.
Building momentum from zero to one hundred takes time. If you overdo it you'll run the risk of burning yourself out and I think that's going to be a particularly prevalent concern in the coming months as we enter this New Normal.
Start with a modest amount of change in your schedule. If you're looking to include more exercise, build up and start slow. It's going to depend on your current fitness and capabilities but even starting with three 1-hour sessions per week is great. Then build up your capacity from there. The same thing goes with starting a business on the side. Focus on the steps that are going to get you to making money from it and validating the idea. Start lean and don't waste time on things like designing logos or upgrading to fancy software if you haven't validated the idea first.
You want quality output from the time you put into it. Believe it or not, something that we do as peak performers is generating more quality work in a single 90-minute block of time than most people can complete in a full workday. If you structure your time and intention in the work that you do for your side hustle in the same way, in no time, those last three months that felt like a waste will become a valuable time where you let your ideas percolate.
Respect the need for recovery.
Everything has to be rebuilt slowly as we are all still facing stress and uncertainty. So be patient with yourself and remember the journey.
If you didn't take care of your recovery as well before COVID-19, now is an excellent time to consider how you can do better with your self-care and recharging regularly. Grinding through every day and week is not the path to peak performance. Much like how REM sleep fluctuates on a 90-minute cycle through the night, our energy oscillates throughout the day in 90-minute segments as well. We can use willpower and discipline to push ourselves from 8 am to 10 pm every day but this drastically affects performance throughout the day and the stress that builds up from the schedule leads to burnout, much like how an athlete that tries to perform in the same fashion without recovery will overtrain.
Each individual requires different needs for recovery, but just like how you're going to add in modest amounts of the Dream Goal projects that you're working on into your schedule, add in your self-care and recovery routines.
Hopefully, you spent some of the quarantine time getting a restful holiday but if you didn't, it's important to note that quality recovery includes things that you enjoy, getting into nature, sleeping more or doing other restorative mindfulness practices like meditating but does not include watching the blue light screens of TVs, tablets, or other tech devices.
Often your most ideal recovery activities will be the opposite of the style of work you mostly do. If you're at a desk job most of the time, recovering with something physical can be very beneficial and if you've got an active job, de-stressing with more creative and calm activities might be best for you.
Most importantly, do the things you enjoy.
Schedule your work into 60-to-90-minute blocks of time throughout the day, include time for refuelling and re-energizing, and block off at least 2-3 blocks each week to do your deeper recovery activities. Also make sure that you're getting the right amount of sleep that you need, typically 7-8 hours every night. This is what maintaining a balanced and productive schedule as a peak performer looks like.
We all go through adversity on the journey of life, but if you're going to be the hero of your story you've got to reflect on what this last chapter taught you and what's coming in the next chapter of your life. Start the process slowly and build up momentum. And remember that we all need to prioritize recovery even more than ever to keep our immune systems healthy and balance the stressors in our lives.
To learn more about how you can perform your best in this next phase, check out the free webinar on peak performance and the new normal.
5 Steps To Improving Your Mindset During Quarantine
How many times have you heard someone lament over what a challenge it is to get off the couch and get work done in the past several months while being stuck at home? It’s so easy to get lost binge-watching shows and trying to forget the world around us for a bit but we all know deep down that it doesn’t feel good to do this. It leaves us in a shroud of a perpetual hangover. Let’s look at a few steps that you can take to drastically improve your mindset and how you are feeling during the quarantine.
Even if the restrictions have lifted wherever you are, using these tips will still help to enhance your mindset and your experience of life.
So read on and take note of what you need to improve upon.
1. USE your bliss station. 👩💻
A lot of us are struggling in part because productivity has bottomed out during the quarantine. It's difficult to get work done at home if you're not used to doing so and to add fuel to the fire, we're working online a lot more right now which is also a struggle if you don't have the right systems in place to master digital distractions.
A bliss station is your temple for deep work. It's a secluded place where you can be most productive. It should inspire creativity and focus.
Some people love the local coffee shop or library for this but as that's not an option for most of us still at this time, we have to manufacture our bliss stations at home. Download coffee shop sounds or play a movie with no sound in the background if you like to feel the company of other people around you. Or if your house is feeling too full right now, you can turn inward by repurposing a closet or using noise-cancelling headphones.
Creativity is a habit that we all can tap into if we create the right rituals and routines to produce more of it in our lives.
2. Keep a clean environment for focus. 🧹
If you're feeling frazzled in getting work done or just from feeling cooped up, a clean physical environment is linked to a clean mental space. To break through that ennui, tidy up your house or at least start with your work station to create more inspiration.
And if you hate cleaning, it only takes about 60 seconds of cleaning before your brain and body shift gears and it starts to lift your mood. So set your timer and start moving and you’ll be amazed at the shift in your mindset.
3. Get outside 🌲
Nature is incredibly refreshing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Fresh air and the chemicals in plants that produce fragrances have a calming effect and reduce stress and blood pressure.
Try to get outside every single day and you'll immensely change the way you are feeling very quickly.
Even going barefoot outside of wherever you are living for a few minutes will help to ground you more.
If you need music or a podcast to get you out the door and into the woods, I suggest at some point turning it off and just tuning in to the sounds of nature around you.
4. Start a mindfulness practice 🧘♂️
Now is the perfect time to start a mindfulness practice. Being at home and maybe secluded from other people makes it important to turn inward and tune into your feelings and emotions.
Learning how to meditate is the closest thing that we have to a superpower as humans. You can tie this into your daily walks outside or your gratitude practice if the idea of trying to clear your head of all thoughts is daunting. The real magic comes around 10 minutes per day of practice but consistency is much more important than outright length, so if all you can muster is four deep breaths to start, that's still great!
If you need a place to start with meditation, the Flow Academy free Challenge Week for Staying Healthy, Happy, and Stress-Free at-home includes several great meditations for getting started and getting through these tough times.
5. 3-Step Gratitude 🙏
Practicing gratitude is incredibly powerful for living more positively and generating optimism.
Now more than ever, we should be writing down our experiences and so I strongly encourage you to start a daily journal and just jot down some of your ideas or experiences through this pandemic.
While you don't need to write down the things you are grateful for, it can be a useful way to embody the feelings of gratitude deeper.
I find that doing a 3-step gratitude is the best way to create balance with the practice. A lot of the time if we do the same gratitude every time it will lose some of its emotional charge. Some people like to just think of their life's highlight reel, others treat gratitude as mindfulness and just focus on the present while a third group tends to visualize the future first and foremost and is always chasing a perceived endpoint instead of balancing the appreciation of the journey.
Combining Past, Present, and Future into your gratitude practice is a way to create more balance.
Start by pulling on a past peak experience. Let it fill you up with happiness and gratitude.
Use that energy to bring yourself into the present and focus on something small in your immediate environment that you can be grateful for.
Now visualize a future event or goal that you are looking forward to. You can even envision it having already been accomplished or experienced.
Using these mindset strategies can start to shift you towards more positivity and optimism. If it seems like a lot to ask for in one go, just start with whichever tip appeals to you the most and work on doing that one for a week or two. Once it feels easy to keep that one change in your routine, add in another step.
Remember that building a more resilient mindset doesn’t happen overnight and that this is about the long journey and not quick hacks. Take your time and be patient and wonderful things will start to happen for you.
Ready to take your performance to the next level? Register for the free webinar on How Will Peak Performance Change in “The New Normal?”
Building Your Bliss Station
Building Your Bliss Station
In Deep Work, Cal Newport talks about the necessity of your workspace for getting quality deep work done. Deep Work refers to the tasks that require ingenuity and creativity; the kinds of jobs that humans excel at that cannot be recreated and automated by robots and AI.
In his excellent book, Cal Newport talks about some of the giants of knowledge work over the past several centuries and how seriously they took their work by creating fortresses of solitude to do their work in.
Carl Jung built a cottage where he would retreat to for days and weeks on end to do his deep work. Similarly, Bill Gates leaves for a week each year to a cottage without connection to the outside world to do nothing but think about challenges and read.
Joseph Campbell called this the act of building your bliss station; Austin Kleon talks about this idea in his excellent book for creatives called Keep Going.
Building your bliss station means you’ve got a space that you keep sacred from non-work activities - you can get your deepest thinking and creation done. This means that ideally, it’s not in your living room or your bedroom.
Sometimes this can be challenging and unrealistic, especially when the whole family is at home right now. This is why technology can help us to bridge the gap between a bliss station and the realities of modern living.
Ideally, your bliss station is sacred and doesn't have to be converted depending on the time of day but do what you need to at this time to get your deep work done.
If you're looking to optimize your productivity at home and for the future at work, build yourself a standing desk or buy one. Standing to work helps to energize you, ergonomics are better if you're working at the right height. You will also find that you can get more work done by keeping your body more active than if you are sitting and slowly curving forward while bent over your computer screen day-after-day. Try it out for yourself and just see.
I recommend having a chair or something to sit on nearby so that you can alternate your position every once in a while because standing perfectly still isn't ideal either. I also started using an acupressure mat to stand on for a little bit of cushion but also to have something that stimulates me to keep moving and shifting weight throughout the day.
This excerpt was from an article on Performing Your Best While Working From Home on the Flow Academy