Some tips to avoid interruptions and get things done.
- Put your phone on silent and turn it over (so you can’t see the screen).
- Switch off your email. You can check your email when the task is complete.
- Turn off your messaging clients (FB messages, Lync, Skype etc). Even better turn off your network connection if your task doesn’t need you to be online.
- Hide – one of my biggest distractions is people coming to my desk to ask a question. If I hide somewhere else they will call or email me if it is really important (in a corporate there are plenty of hidey holes).
- Focus on one thing at a time – there is no such thing as multitasking.
- Keep a notebook handy (or text file) – so if something pops into your head you can quickly write it down and move on.