I am an expert in this field. I start books, exercise programs, blogs, wedding albums, manuscripts, emails, Christmas cards, and on and on and on.
On occasion, I’ve been known to push through and finish. But, in the past few years it feels like the things that actually get finished are few and far between. Blame this on moving, kids, lack of sleep, life, or what ever excuse falls out of my mouth. However, the real problem is my ability to focus on one task and get it done.
By nature, I believe, females are natural multi-taskers. This skill can be both a blessing and a disaster. Yes, I can make dinner, help with homework, stoke a fire (yes, we own a wood burning stove to keep us warm-it’s awesome!), check e-mail, text my sister, doodle on a post-it-note all while talking to my husband about what needs to be fixed in our new (old) house. Exhausting. On some days, the buzz of everything going on around me is so loud that I just want to shut down and take a nap. (Naps solve everything in my world!) This is not always a great option so taking steps to focus and work on one task at a time is a priority this year.
As I write this post, I have not moved from my chair. I have only been distracted once by my husband (house issue), and I have almost completed an entire post that has been on my mind for weeks. How hard was that?
My steps to focus and finish:
1. Decide on three most important task for the day and work on those first.
2. Do not check e-mail, Pinterest or any other social media until three tasks are complete.
3. If I get distracted return to task as soon as possibly and don’t beat myself up about it.
4. Once complete, take a few minutes to have a cup of tea or cocoa and relax.
I am off to write a manuscript that has been  calling my name for weeks.
Ahhhhh. Now, that feels better. Join me!
The Ink Pond 