With technology surrounding us 24/7 there are so many distractions competing for our attention. This video contains tips for avoiding them. After you watch, take the self-appraisal quiz to see how well you were able to focus. After the quiz, use the Forward button at the bottom to advance to the next module, or use the Back button to revisit the previous module.
Quiz
Video Transcript
One of the biggest problems that we have in staying focused is distractions. Distractions are things that demand our attention–that pull our attention away from doing our work. It is anything other than something that’s going to get us to our goals. Distractions kill goal progress. They’re the things that tempt us away from doing our work. It could be text messages from a friend, a video we have playing in the background, notices from our phones. It could be any number of sources, but they all have in common that they demand our attention. They distract us from getting what we want to get done. A good way to deal with distractions is to remove them. Start by taking inventory of the distractions that you have during study time. Make a list. Pay attention for a day or two and see each time you sit down to study or you’re trying to get some work done. What are the sorts of things that are interfering? Is there a friend or family member that calls you? Is there a pet that’s that’s bothering you and demanding your attention. Take an inventory. Then think about strategies for for eliminating those distractions. So for example, find a quiet place to work. It could be at home, it could be on campus. Turn off your cell phone. A big killer for most people is having your cell phone that’s dinging you with notices, texts, emails, and so on. Don’t multitask. One of the biggest problems with multitasking is that it’s distracting. If you’re watching a video while you’re studying things happening on that video, demand your attention and distract you from getting work done. Another one is to ask your friends not to contact you during study time. So you might decide that two to five every afternoon is time devoted to study and ask your friends not to bother you during that time. Wait until five o’clock and then you’re all theirs.