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Lost Focus at Work

Discussion in 'Tilted Life and Sexuality' started by CoffeeBee, Sep 20, 2011.

  1. CoffeeBee

    CoffeeBee Slightly Tilted

    I have no idea what is wrong with me. Things I thought I knew how to do, I am struggling with. I cannot seem to focus on the task at hand and things are taking too long. I am having a hard time prioritizing and staying organized. I am no longer enjoying what I do. I know, in this economy, I am happy I have a job and I won't leave it. What I need to do is to learn how to organize, prioritize, and focus, and delegate what I can to my one employee that works for me. I can't seem to find anything that works for me and it has me very concerned.

    How do you keep yourself organized and focused at work?
     
    CoffeeBee, Sep 20, 2011
    #1
  2. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    In the mornings, my work is largely self-directed and behind the scenes. I'm getting all of the stuff done outside the classrooms while the teachers are in the classrooms--dishes, prepping food, cleaning, etc. This means I have to motivate myself to stay on task and get things done. Similarly, my other job is self-directed. I keep an internal list of tasks in my head for the day-to-day--what needs to get done right now--and I have an external list for what needs to happen over the next week and next month. Some of these are tasks that happen every month, like reviewing and signing timesheets or writing the schedule, and so they go on my calendar, because they typically have specific dates they are due. Having these lists, whether they're in my head or outside of it, helps considerably.
     
    snowy, Sep 20, 2011
    #2
  3. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    Is it a distraction issue?
    My most frustrating days at work are the ones where the phone is always ringing, the email constantly buzzing, or something pulling me on the internet and distracting me.
    It isn't easy but I can get myself back on track by going without the Internet, ignoring non-essential emails, and ignoring the phone unless I know it to be urgent.
    Part of your delegation should include having your employee block distractions by handling emails, phone calls and other non-essentials.
     
    fflowley, Sep 20, 2011
    #3
  4. Craven Morehead

    Craven Morehead Very Tilted

    Location:
    third rock from the sun
    Set daily goals. Make a list of what needs to get done. Then do it. Focus on the list.
     
    Craven Morehead, Sep 20, 2011
    #4
  5. Doris

    Doris Getting Tilted

    This sounds good. My old teacher retired (years ago). I heard she had made herself a timetable for home chores, just like she had had for lessons in school.

    Luckily in my work, I'm often prompted by others, I'm depending on them finishing their tasks first. If they know to keep ahead of the deadline, I'm fine. Sometimes I need to avoid responding to discussions, if it looks like, the job is not getting done.
     
    Doris, Sep 20, 2011
    #5
  6. Daniel_

    Daniel_ The devil made me do it...

    Location:
    The United Kingdom, naturally
    I have felt like this a few times - generally by the time I lost enough focus and enjoyment to notice it was bugging me, I realised it was time to go looking for another challenge.

    Thankfully, I've always managed to find a new thing to do that was interesting and fun. Good luck.
     
    Daniel_, Sep 20, 2011
    #6
  7. greywolf

    greywolf Slightly Tilted

    I used to walk to work every day... about 3 miles... along a river most of the way. It was a wonderful way to gear up for the day; most of my planning was done on the way in. On the way home, I would wind down and be totally relaxed by the time I got home, plus, a lot of issues/problems that needed to be addressed were resolved then.

    On the other hand, I'm wondering if there's something in your life outside of work that is causing you to lose your focus. Sometimes the symptoms are far divorced from the cause.
     
    greywolf, Sep 20, 2011
    #7
  8. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    This is the answer.

    When I changed positions, I went from having a well defined set of daily tasks to being largely self-directed. I'm given general objectives and left to my own devices on how I achieve them. Between that and suddenly finding myself working from home at first keeping focus was a bit of an issue. I'm now finding that in order to be productive I need to keep myself on task by scheduling and setting deadlines.

    Set yourself some goals. Things to be done today, this week, this month, the next six months. Figure out what's most important and prioritize accordingly. It may not bring enjoyment back to your work, but it will at least help you remain productive.
     
    martian, Sep 21, 2011
    #8
  9. cj2112

    cj2112 Slightly Tilted

    I struggled with this every single day. I dunno that I ever found a work around other than setting deadlines, throwing on some headphones and racing myself to see how efficient I can be. I know that when my days are productive I feel much better at the end of the day.
     
    cj2112, Sep 21, 2011
    #9
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