Attention Management will get you
through your To-Do List
The Time Management phrase isn’t realistic for many people. Why should anyone be expected to be able to “manage” time which is indefinite and unmanageable.
Productivity can be achieved by reframing things. Instead of trying (and undoubtedly failing like most of us) to keep up with time, master your attention — the ability to choose when, and on what, you do (or don’t) concentrate.
Many Professional Organizers get clients to block a certain period of time to take care of a project like purging and decluttering closets and bedroom drawers. But something else takes away your attention and focus which uses up that block of time like phone calls, emails, going through old mail, etc.
The complete article from the link below states there are two main reasons why time management doesn’t suit a lot of people. First: because no one actually has control over time! It happens no matter what we do!
Second: It’s the easiest to break an appointment with yourself. Who’s going to stop you?
Use your calendar to keep appointments with people, events, deadlines for projects due. And To-Do’s that don’t have a deadline require focusing your attention more importantly than the time block assigned. From the complete article, “Whenever that time block ends, the task of decluttering your closet or bedroom drawers or kitchen cabinets won’t be done if you don’t also manage your attention.”
Attention Management as a concept is to shift your understanding of, and strategy for, how you motivate yourself. Since time can’t be controlled, you can focus on practicing control of your attention — which is doable with practice and willpower. You are not helpless and can be empowered to regain control of busy days! You need to know which head space you’re in.
One of them is Reactive and Distracted when you might be working from home with children needing your help while they’re now attending school from home. When you’re multi-tasking or actually task-switching, it’s not the ideal time for productivity because of the lack of attention management.
Another mind state is Focused and Mindful when you’re actively concentrating and centering all your attention on one task like going through old files in your crammed file cabinet. You’re making an effort to push out other thoughts, procrastination and not get disturbed by others so your project will get constant activity and distraction while being productive with your To-Do’s and tasks so it’s good to find balance with these quiet, in-between moments to breathe deeply, notice nature, and perhaps have great insight about something!
The last mind state in the article is Flow; being in the zone. The article mentions “You are fully immersed in the task at hand; it is total absorption in what you’re doing.”
To master ATTENTION MANAGEMENT: (1) cultivate awareness of where your mind is at a given moment. (2) Recognize which brain state is ideal for the task at hand — and then working to get yourself to shift into that brain state in order to get it done. You can do this by controlling your environment, technology, break down tasks, designate stopping points, and reform old habits.
Forget Time Management — Attention Management Is the Better Path to Productivity.
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