The one thing I do to focus when I'm easily distracted

My child called me.
My phone rang.
I suddenly remembered, 'I need to hang out the laundry.'

There are so many things that distract me every day.
And before I know it, I'm thinking this:

'Wait, what was I about to do again?'

I find it hard to get started on the things I want to do.
Time just keeps slipping away,
and I'm left with a lingering feeling of frustration.

To help me focus, I started doing this one thing:
writing down what I need to do and the time for it on a piece of paper.

Narrow it down to just one thing and keep it in sight

I only write down one thing.
I write 'Do [task] from [time] for [duration] minutes' on a piece of paper and stick it right in front of me.

For example, 'Write a note draft from 9:00 for 15 minutes.'
The key is towrite down the task and the time as a set.

There are two reasons why I write it on paper.

• It's easier to remember

• It's harder to get distracted

When I used to take notes on my phone, I would often end up checking notifications or opening other apps.

On days I don't write it down, nothing gets done

What happens on days I don't write it on paper?
After getting distracted, I would often forget what I was doing and start something else.

I couldn't get started on what I really wanted to do.
When that piles up, I feel disappointed in myself, thinking, 'I didn't get anything done today either.'

But days when I write it on paper are different.
Even if my child calls me, the 'thing to do later' is right there in front of me.
I can immediately return to what I originally wanted to do.

What do you want to focus on today?

If you are easily distracted, start with just one thing.
Try writing down what you want to do and the time for it on a piece of paper.
Just by placing that in front of you,
even if you get distracted, you can come back to what you want to do.

What do you want to focus on today?
If you'd like, why not try writing just one thing on a piece of paper?

Thank you for reading this far.
I hope you have a wonderful day.