DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS AT HOME
“chant the task. ignore everything else.”
The Lesson
Working from home means walking through a gauntlet of distractions. Phone notifications, other projects, pets, snacks, coffee. The trick: literally chant your task out loud as you move. 'Get paper. Get paper. Get paper.' When you see a laptop, 'Don't open it. Get paper.' When you pass the kitchen, 'Don't get a snack. Get paper.' The verbal repetition keeps your brain locked on the single task. It's not glamorous, but it's the only way to get anything done when your attention span has been compressed by social media.
Real-World Example
A founder working from home needs to send one investor email. Between desk and laptop: Slack is pinging, kids need attention, that unfinished feature beckons, Twitter is calling. Solution: 'Send email. Send email. Send email.' Pass the kitchen-'Don't get coffee. Send email.' See Slack notification-'Not now. Send email.' Sit down, send the email, then allow distractions. One task, protected by verbal chanting.
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