Sometimes we are in environments that keep us from doing deep, focused work.

Sometimes we lack focus because we are not clear on the task at hand or why we’re doing it.

But a lot of the times, it’s simply our own thoughts that distract us.

First: having your mind being distracted and wandering is perfectly natural.

What we need to focus on is this: honing our skills to notice whenever we go off track, and there is a simple tool you can apply right now to do just that.

So the solution is not applying heroic levels of discipline (have you ever tried that and have it work long-term??) but noticing and getting the thought out of our system to re-focus on the task.

Picture this: you are in the middle of working on a presentation when a thought comes to your mind.

It might be something like:

• I need to check my emails
• I have an idea for a new product
• I need to order something online
• I need to watch a video on [fill in the blank]
• I need to call Sally to talk about this other project

Now, have you ever tried pushing a thought away and noticed what happens?

What usually happens is this pattern:

Pushing thoughts away, reinforces thoughts.

We need to find a system that enables us to break this cycle of reinforcement.

How? Write down your distracting thoughts.

By writing your distracting thoughts down, you

1. make what was previously internal (in your mind), external – you don’t need to remember the thought anymore, because you’ve written it down,
2. acknowledge them, not trying to push them away, and
3. have the possibility to review them after your task – perhaps you have had a great idea.

Writing your distracting thoughts down is a “yes, later“, not a “no”. It creates less resistance.

Step 1: Take a pen and paper

Have a pen and paper ready at your desk. Use whichever format you prefer: notebook, a piece of paper, a Post-it…

Experiment to see what works best for you.

Step 2: Write down your thoughts

Write down any distracting thoughts that come to mind while you are working on a task. By distracting, I mean not related to the task at hand. It is not about categorizing the thought as good or bad. It’s simply about taking note of it.

If an image comes to mind, you can even quickly sketch it out, if you think more in visuals.

It doesn’t need to be beautifully written or even readable for anyone else but you.

It might look something like this:

Step 3: Review your notes

After you complete the task you set out to do, take a minute (literally) to review your notes.

• You might have had a great idea – capture it wherever you usually capture great ideas
• You might have written down an important task to remember – capture it on your todo list
• You might have, at second thought, written down not essential points, that’s ok – no action needed here