I was reading my wife’s Real Simple, don’t worry this is not a confession post, and there was an article about, 5 quick rituals that will improve your day. One of the rituals was to write an ignore list. I am definitely a list person that feels organized when I make a list of everything that I need to complete in the day. I get satisfaction out of crossing things off the list. The more items off the list, the more productive I feel. An ignore list is opposite of what needs to be done today, it focuses on what should not be done during the day. The article mentions Peter Bergman, who is an adviser to CEOs and the author of 18 minutes: Find your focus, Master distraction, and get right things done. He suggests making a list of thing that are not worth your time, not productive, or things that might cause you to be distraction prone. You can use this list to remind yourself of what you should not be doing with your time. I had never thought about making such a list before, but I think it would turn out to be fairly helpful, as I can easily get distracted throughout the day. I thought it would be fun for all of us to share what we would put on our Ignore list for the day. Here is mine:
1. Ignore Facebook
2. Ignore Twitter
3. Ignore my personal emails
4. Ignore the TV
5. Ignore my iPad (games)
6. Ignore ESPN.com
7. Ignore reading other blogs.
See a pattern here? Everything that distracts me has to do with the internet or some electronic device. I guess I need to run away from the Internet if I want to get anything done in a day. These websites and social media outlets are major time suckers in my day. I check them multiple times a day for 5-10 minutes at a time, and they cause me to easily lose focus. Instead of reading about Moneysupermarket gas and electricity comparison, I could be focusing my attention on my main goals for the day. While going through this list I also started to think about the things that don’t distract me, but rather help me be more productive. Music is one of those electronic outlets that isn’t distracting, but rather conducive to my productivity. For some people sounds are distracting, but maybe because of the harmony and rhythm of music, it causes less distraction.
I am looking forward to hearing from you about what would be on your Ignore list. What distracts you during the day? What causes you to be somewhat unproductive throughout your day?
-Matt
[Photo Credit: diyblogger.net]
Ooh, I love this idea!
My ignore list: Twitter, Facebook, iChat, obsessively checking my site stats, checking email the second something hits my inbox, reading other blogs, text messages…
I could keep going but those are my main distractions.
Checking email the moment it hits the inbox is a bad habit of mine, as well as obsessing over my site meter stats.
Thanks for the love! My life has been on high speed and I am having to learn to stay away from the online world as it is a HUGE distraction for me. Music has been my saving grace…and yoga. I tell myself that I have to choose how I want to spend my little free time. Yoga or computer? Yoga has been winning and music becomes my back drop during transitions. Thanks for sharing. I may need to create an ignore list.
One of my writer friends uses a program called Self Control, where you can actually keep yourself from going to certain sites for a set amount of time. I’ve never used it, but she swears by it. Thought I’d pass that along, since your distractions are similar to hers (and mine!).
Where can one get that program or are you being sarcastic?
XOXO,
Danielle
I like this idea! I definitely need to write down an “ignore list” for myself…On mine? Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, and other blogs. I’m SO addicted to SO many blogs. It’s impossible to keep up!
Thanks for the post!
First off, certainly ignore other blogs. I think this has helped my writing and thought processes in a huge way. Oh, and definitely ignore my blog!
Other things I enjoy ignoring:
other people’s advice
site metrics
clothing style
Oh, you know, another thing I just thought of was my little mini-series ‘ignore the experts’.
it’s so important for us to break free of conventions. i like the spin you put on it with ignoring things for the sake of creating more time. im going to have to think about it a bit more.
I am a bit OCD. If I don’t allow myself one check and only one check, I will check every 5 minutes, so I allow myself a limit. If it is something that gets too addictive or has to be checked too often, yet is something I need to check sometimes (like email and facebook for family stuff) it is easier for me to limit it to once a day than ignore it completely. Then I don’t obsess that I am missing something.
I do try to ignore:
1. debates and arguments (most of the time, the other person is not interested in hearing my point of view, just in converting others to his/hers)
2. unsolicitated advice
3. sales pitches/requests for donations (I will find what I want to buy or donate to and not listen to cold calls…)
4. surveys/polls/etc. (too much math to believe numbers without knowing more about the parameters of the data gathering…)
I need to try and ignore the ringing phone and check messages later since those cold calls, recordings, etc. are just frustrating and time wasters. And they almpost always interrupt something.