An Honest Mom on Priorities, the Internet, and Her Jumpy, All-Over-the-Place Brain

My latest challenge? Beginning and finishing a task. Between my toddler and the internet, I seem to be more distract-able than ever. How do you keep your focus with kids and the interweb and a million and one things seeking your attention?

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[anzhelo4ka]

3) Accept that you are not superwoman. It's OK to let some things slide. Decide what your priorities are (e.g. mine are to maintain the house to a point where I would not be embarrassed to invite the neighbors in if they showed up unannounced and make sure that I take the time to eat something resembling a proper meal during the day), and then focus on getting those things done first, and be OK with not getting to the other things today. You'll be happier and feel less chaotic as a result.

[ssmackley]

@anzhelo4ka Yep. I do think adjusting my expectations for myself is huge, and narrowing the amount of time that I need to focus on something--I've done that in the past and often find that I end up spending even more time than I allotted...its a great way to get over the mental hurdle of getting started. Thank you for taking the time to write all this! I'd love it if you shared your comments on my blog. i think my other readers would get a lot out of them!!

[anzhelo4ka]

2) Pomodoro technique. Choose something from your to-do list. Set a timer for 20 minutes and work only on that chosen task until the timer beeps. You'd be amazed how much more motivated you are after setting the timer (after all, you only have 20 min. -- not enough time to go trawling old facebook pictures!) and you can really get a lot done in that time. I usually take a 5 or 10 min. break (timed, of course!) and then repeat the 20 min. cycle with another task (or the same one) if necessary.

[anzhelo4ka]

I totally know where you're coming from. I have a few survival techniques: 1) Make sure your to-do lists are realistic, or else "tweak" them in a positive way. For example when I have a lot of cleaning to do I don't just put "clean the house", I write "Wipe the counters, wash the dishes, clean the toaster". Some of those things only take a few minutes to do but you're able to mark off a few things at one time and feel way more productive, and then that feeling fuels more productivity.