notebooksHave you ever noticed as soon as you get focused on a project, your brain goes into overdrive? First you’re coming up with all sorts of great ideas relevant to the project at hand, when suddenly, you’re flooded with random yet urgent thoughts about everything *except* your hot project. “Remember to call Mom to wish her a Happy Birthday. Pick up milk on the way home tonight. The power bill is due Wednesday.” And so on. These thoughts, because they’re either urgent or profound, command your attention and often derail progress on your big project.

Resist the urge to drop everything. Instead, stay focused on the task at hand by using this simple trick. Whenever you buckle down for serious, concentrated work, keep a “distractions pad” and pen handy. A distractions pad can be any sized pad of paper. The idea is to simply have a place to jot down your thoughts as soon as they pop into your head. Then, immediately get back to the task at hand. When you’re done with your project, you can take care of the items on your pad, or schedule them in your calendar to handle at a later date.