Not Jumping for Rings and Beeps

It seems that if it is not the phone ringing, the text buzzing, the computer chiming, instant messenger dinging, door bell ringing then it is some other form of notifying you that your attention is  needed. I have found this rather frustrating and in fact it creates anxiety in me.

I even have a flashing light on my cell phone to notify me when messages come in so I don’t have to hear the constant noise. This way I can see if it is something that needs my immediate attention or not. For me, it got so distracting and frustrating,  that I cancelled my cell phone contract and my land line over a year and a half. I know it sounds nuts.

I am often asked how a business owner, an entrepreneur can run a successful business with no phone. It is easy. I am now in charge of when the distractions occur. My cell phone has a chip in it so I can go online when I have internet and I can use Skype or WhatsApp for business calls. My clients reach me with instant messenger on FaceBook and by email. They have access to my calendar and can make appointments and I call them at the appointed time.

Now I am not startled by a phone call or text and feel obligated to answer it and stop what I am doing. Yes, when the flashy light on the phone lights up, I flip it over check what the issue is and then either deal with it or continue what I was doing and deal with it later.

I had a client tell me that she thought I was a master at time management. She could not believe how much I got done and how I stayed on schedule. My secret: get rid of the interruptions.

The second secret is to create a list of your weekly to do’s and divide them up among the days of the week on your calendar in time spots where you can do them. Divide projects into pieces, schedule time for them and put them in the calendar. Use a timer so you do not lose track of time.

Most of all, turn off all the distractions. We get so caught up of having to see who posted on Facebook or Instagram instead of taking care of ourselves and our businesses. Does the world stop or your business explode because you don’t jump for every beep or ding? No.

This might not work for everyone but for me it allowed me a freedom to be me, get my work done, meditate quietly and so much more. ​It also allowed there to feel like an expanse of each day instead of constantly running out of time. For me, this works.

Want some free advice on how to make things easier in your life? Take me up on my free 15 minute call where I can give you some tips. It is not a sales call. If you find good value in the free call and want more help, come check out my programs. Makes it easy to make changes!