MARK STRUCZEWSKI

Got distractions?

Wait. That's probably the wrong question to ask. Let me try again.

What distractions are you dealing with?

Social media?

Email?

People?

Those are the top three distractions I've been helping people deal with a lot these days.

In this article, I'm going to give you some tips on how to beat back these distractions so you can get back to the business of doing what you need to.

Social Media

Tip #1: turn off notifications. You don't need to be alerted every time someone posts something or tags you or if someone posts something in a group you belong to.

I recommend you turn off ALL notifications in the settings of your smart phone, tablet, laptop and desktop instead of doing so within the app.

If you want to keep some notifications on, be very diligent about what you do enable and, at the very least, consider turning off the sound - that way notifications won't divert your attention from what you really should be working on.

Tip #2: if you really want to get back control...

Meetings.

What emotions do you feel when you hear that word?

Or when you’re invited to one?

Anger?

Frustration?

Overwhelm?

Or maybe you experience physical issues like pain in your neck, head or elsewhere?

You’re not alone.

We’ve all been to meetings that we felt were a waste of time. And that’s because the meeting planner didn’t know what they were doing. Maybe they weren’t trained correctly.

Here are 10 ideas to consider if you want to make your meetings more productive.

WHO NEEDS TO BE AT THE MEETING?

I remember reading Walter Isaacson’s biography about Steve Jobs. In it, he shared the story about a meeting Steve held in which there was someone that he wasn’t expecting. He asked her rather bluntly, “who are you?” When she told him, he replied, “we won’t be needing you here.”

I’m not saying do what Steve Jobs did…but do take a look at who REALLY needs to be at your meeting.

DON’T SERVE...

It's time to go back to the basics of productivity. Yes, it's time to go back to school. Time to clarify a few things about productivity. Truths, if you will. Productivity is a big buzz word today. But let's make sure we're reading from the same page in the same book.

SUMMARY

• How productive are you? Today. Right this moment. Rate yourself on a scale of zero to 10. But don't rate yourself a ten or a zero because no one is productive all the day and no one procrastinates all the time either.

• You're give a precious gift every single night: another 24 hours. How you spend those 24 hours is completely up to you (despite what you might think).

• You don't have to go to work (seriously!). But, wait! Don't quit your job just yet!

• Time is the great equalizer. It does not care who you are, how much money you have or don't have, or how educated you are aren't had educated.

• Your time is leaking someplace. Find out where by tracking your time over a period of...

Maura Nevel Thomas is an award-winning international speaker and trainer on individual and corporate productivity and work-life balance, and the most widely-cited authority on attention management. She is a TedX speaker, founder of Regain Your Time, author of 3 books, and was named a Top Leadership Speaker for 2018 in Inc. Magazine. Maura is frequently featured and cited as an expert in major business outlets including Forbes and NPR, and she’s also a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review.

On this episode with Maura Thomas:

• Open office floor plans
• What leaders need to know about attention management
• Why leaders shouldn't work long or different hours from their staff
• Digital convergence

maurathomas.com

Sue Dumais is a Global Impact Visionary Leader answering the call to heal the world. She is a best-selling Author, an international Speaker, an Ordained Minister, a gifted intuitive healer, and a global voice of HOPE and inspiration for the “Heart YES Movement.” Sue brings the gifts of insight, awareness, and self-empowerment to her global audience, creating a shift in consciousness from head to heart. Her mission is to ignite our hearts to uplift humanity and unify us in love for each other and our planet.

On this episode with Sue Dumais:

• What it heart led living means
• Handouts versus handups
• The power of resistance
• Everything on your path has a purpose

Heart Led Living

I love Instagram.

When it was released to the world on October 6, 2010 exclusively on iOS devices (it came to Android in April 2012), not many took notice. In the beginning, it was only a square photo sharing service. Its growth was steady and in April 2012, Facebook forked over one billion dollars for it.

To say that Instagram can be highly addictive (keeping you from being productive) is an understatement. Instagram, like every other social media platform out there, is specifically designed to keep on you it for as long as possible (can you say "forever"?)

Fear not It is possible to use (and love!) Instagram but not let it get the best of you.

SUMMARY

• Instagram can be highly addicting and keep you from being productive. In this episode, I give you three strategies to maintain control over Instagram.

• Turn off notifications. Think about what this interruption is doing to your productivity, to your focus, to your attention.

• Exercise the power of the mute or the...

Mike Sahno is an author, speaker and publisher with over seventeen years of professional writing experience. He launched his own publishing company in 2015, and has released four full-length works of fiction since that time. Mike also ghostwrites books and articles for business owners who want to expand their authority, reach, and influence, and his most recent client’s business book became a #1 Amazon bestseller within two weeks after it came out. His new novel, Whizzers, is slated for release in the summer of 2019.

On this episode with Mike Sahno:

• What is a ghost writer
• Mistakes people make when they're writing their books
• What to look for when hiring a ghost writer

Twitter

Sara Carty is the founder of Marketbound, a boutique marketing company specializing in startups. With almost 10 years of experience, Sara focuses her time on building high impact, low cost strategies. Originally from Montreal and now in London, Sara launched the very first LinkedInLocal Women event that included topics like mental health and imposter syndrome. Sara also recently launched a podcast called Not So Dirty Thirty which focuses on the the transformations women experience moving into our 30s.

On this episode with Sara Carty:

• The mindset of marketing
• Reasonable goals
• Why failures are good for us
• Marketing mistakes

Marketbound

Distractions are everywhere.

Social media.

Email.

Text/instant messaging.

People.

Entertainment (television, video games, etc.)

Life (traffic, construction, dogs barking...the list goes on).

Distractions also come in many different flavors.

But a distraction you might not have thought about is the topic of this video: you or your mindset.

Yes, you could be getting in your own way of getting things done. Of being productive.

In this video, I discuss FIVE ways your mindset is hampering your productivity and what to do about each.

Matt Gagnon is a professional Co-Active coach certified by the Coaches Training Institute, credentialed by the International Coach Federation, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, keynote speaker, author, and brings 15 years of corporate sales and leadership experience.

Matt believes in living a life aligned with your values. We all have up to five core values - that when honored, evoke the best in us. The problem is that many people live life with values defined by others leaving one feeling empty and like they are never enough.

Matt was living what looked like a successful life with a six-figure job, nice house, nice car, nice clothes, etc. Behind the curtain he was actually spirally out of control resulting in chronic illness, depression, addiction, and an attempted suicide. His lifestyle eventually resulted in disability and losing the only career he had ever known.

After leaning into his faith, Matt stopped being a victim and chose to see his adversity as a call to...