Guide to focusing on your side project, even when your tired Jan 26, 2016

11 minute read

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Yeah, yeah, yeah we all know focussing these days is tough. There is an entire industry around eliminating distraction and becoming more productive. Cal Newport is the pioneer around deep work and recently even wrote a book about it. I cannot wait to read it. If only I could sit down, and check out all the reviews before purchasing it,”don’t you just hate losing focus and getting distracted?” Arrrrrrgggg!!!</span></p>

Physical vs. Mental tasks

Have you ever noticed how when you want to go for a jog or wish to put the trash out. The task is specific and definitive.

You will walk to the bin, take out the packet and carry it outside. Or when going for a jog, you put on your running shoes, go outside and start jogging until you want to come home.

Alternatively, when you addressing emails, you open your email, read its contents, click the link it referred to and off you go to only return 30 minutes later.

Understanding Distraction

It is clear to see that the potential for distraction on physical projects/tasks is much easier to control than that of intellectual projects. But why is that the case? This is because there is no clear finish line on mental tasks and you just don’t know when it’s done. At PwC, they have specific training and invest tons of cash into staying on task and delivering high value.

The lack of definition may lead to scope creep, but the more savage criminal is distraction.

For example, if you create a feature your application does not need right now. You just end up with code that you could potentially use elsewhere, provided you build things in a modular fashion. However, you will only realise that it was a waste a few nights later when your users validate your feature set.

But at that very moment after you finishing coding, even if it is later shown to be useless, you would think that you were super productive and feel great about your progress. This is an awesome feeling, and would of added to your side projects momentum which is great for the project as a whole.

Protecting your Momentum and Focus

Now let us contrast this situation to what happens when you get distracted. You start with a specific feature in mind , while you busy your phone goes off or an email notification pops up or you see a strange piece of paper on your desk.

It is highly likely that your attention will be hijacked for some time before you return, and this tends to happen often. In the end, you feel unproductive with little to show or a product of inferior quality.

By definition, side projects are done, alongside other commitments, making your time and energy critical components of your success. Therefore, Momentum and Focus cannot be squandered and should be protected.

Here are some techniques to protect your momentum and focus, even when you tired

Secret Weapon #1 : Remember what drives you

There is a reason why you started this side project, so remind yourself by reading or writing it before you start your work session.

For example, Brian Harris from Videofruit gave excellent advice of writing your goal on a blank piece of paper and sticking it on the wall behind your desktop screen. So you will be constantly reminded of why you started on this journey and what you want to achieve.

Secret Weapon #2 : Session State Persistence

According to Edmond Lau (Author of the Effective Engineer), leave your last side project session in the same state you ended it, so that you can just start where you left off. This will absolutely save you some time, by reducing your digital and physical environment setup time

For example, physically shutting your laptop without closing your last used applications or leaving your desk space arrangement in the same place you left it. This is a simple technique that can easily save you up to 30 minutes per session.

Secret Weapon #3 : Adjust work schedule to your Energy levels

You most likely know when you work best, which is normally in the mornings or evenings.

Whichever that may be, schedule your work sessions around when you will be best equipped to address them.

Tasks can be categorized into 3 level

High Energy – Complex, Most important task of the day

Medium Energy – Everything else that does not require top alertness

Low Energy – Mundane, repetitive tasks, or chores

I have the most energy in the morning, so I batch all my high and medium energy task for the morning and at the end of the day, I do the more mundane chores. This is a good way to ensure that you are getting things done early in the day.

Just make sure you figure out what works for you and do more of it. Once you built a routine around when you perform tasks, your body will become accustomed to your schedule and be ready for work every time.

Secret Weapon #4 : Quick and Painless To-Do List Make use of a to-do list so, you know exactly what will need to be worked on. There are many applications out there to help you like Evernote, Things or OmniFocus. If you do not use any of the above-mentioned application, go old-school, use just write what needs to be done on a regular piece of paper. The satisfaction you will receive from physically scratching off a to-do item, is so much more intense than ticking a complete box. Secret Weapon #5 : Healthy lifestyle Regulate the kinds of food you are eating and drinks you’re having, to help maintain even energy levels throughout the day. Even exercising for just a few minutes will help you with stress, mind relaxation and the necessary energy to get the task done. According to Population Health Management journal, eating unhealthy is linked to 66% risk of loss of productivity and lack of exercise increases your risk of low productivity by 50% Secret Weapon #6 : Only bite off what you can chew It is not possible to do everything, in one sitting, so prioritize your tasks or to-do list items according to what is important, so that you getting the most out of your work sessions. You can do this by either, ranking your to-do items or using Eisenhower’s Quadrants and understanding your velocity (how fast it takes to complete a task) If you enjoy using a paper-based To-Do list, use a post-it for your To -Dos, this will help limit the list to the most important items and what you can achieve in one sitting Secret Weapon #7 : Know what you want to achieve You need some form of goal setting, setting near-term milestones is excellent at keeping you on track. For example, I set weekly milestones for where I should be and check my progress to what I actually achieved. This is a great opportunity to adjust your approach, know what is working so you can do more of it or what is not working so you can try something else. When you seated at your desk to start working you should already know what you going to do, so plan effectively. Planning consists of Organising information in a way that you can get to it easily

Having you to do list, prioritised and written out so you not wasting time on what you still need to do today

Having your digital and physical environment ready to work