Scatterbrain

In my life, I'm continually reminded of a problem that is simple to diagnose, but extremely difficult to overcome. It's something I call "Scatterbrain". It involves approaching many elements to the current task at hand and feeling unable to tend to them in an orderly way. A simpler way of putting it is being "flustered".

Just doing some quick browsing online has allowed me to come up with a few tips for the situation:

1. Approach the day with a task list. Having a list of what you need/want to accomplish in a day keeps you on track.
2. Track your progress. Knowing that you are coming closer to achieving your goals is a powerful way to keep you motivated. No one wants to push in one direction only to find out they haven't gone anywhere.
3. Apply time-boxing to your projects. If you are juggling multiple tasks, try working on one for a limited period, then start on the next. This keeps your mind fresh and helps you avoid beating your head over a single problem.
4. Set up an appropriate background. Your choice of music can make a difference on your level of focus. Personally, I find that the less lyrics there are, the less distracted I am (especially when reading). Also, I find that the some of the best music to keep me focused lies between mellow and upbeat: Not so loud and energetic that I feel like I'm in a rave but also not so slow that I want to fall asleep.
5. Bring a bottle. There is something to be said about staying hydrated. Having a bottle of water next to you will prevent you from making frequent trips to the water cooler.
6. Walk away. This may seem contradictory, but sometimes the best way to keep your mind on track is to let it have a break. Take a couple minutes every hour or two to get up and stretch. You will be a little more refreshed when you come back and will be better able to continue in your work.
7. Keep clean. Just like it's important to have a list of goals in mind, it's also important to keep your physical and digital workspaces orderly. This includes putting away things you don't currently need and closing programs you're not using anymore. Having to spend an extra 5 minutes searching around for what you need won't help you avoid breaking your focus.
8. Rethink your perspective. Yes, you're doing work. Yes, it's not like being at a water park. Even though you may not always take pride in what you do, you have control over how you think about it. As laborsome as it can be, work gives us purpose. It gives us a way to impact our world and be rewarded. Think of what things would be like if you just sat around all day. Sure, it would be nice at first, but you would grow bored. Without goals to drive toward, life quickly becomes pointless, so be thankful for the goals you have and don't groan in pursuing them. Take them as opportunities to learn and grow as an individual.

I hope this helps your productivity as I hope it will help mine. :)