Are you a grasshopper?

I've just received a text from my best friend and I can really relate to what she said.

"Supposed to be writing. Finding my attentions are diverted to too many areas and not progressing in any area due to grass hopping about. Think I need to focus and manage my time more effectively!"

As a bit of back ground, my best friend has just left years of 9-5 working and is striking out on her own - exciting times! I'll be there to support and help her, and get her business online too!

I replied to her text:

"Yes, these new ventures can be time consuming and obsessional. A lot of it's trial and error, working out what works, what's worth your time and knowing when/if to ditch it. You really have to take control of it. I am still trying to manage it lol."

I think even the most focused individuals find themselves 'grass hopping' about at times. I know I do.

We have so many exciting ideas and also some mundane things to do, that it's easy to get distracted and jump from something that peaks our interest one minute, to something else that is vying for our attention the next. We want to do everything and we want to do every thing right now!

I'm still working on the best way to manage my time, and I think that's something that will be continual and evolving as my work and goals grow.

As an experiment, I am keeping a spread sheet (on google docs) and tracking how I spend my time.

Isn't it pretty? ;)

After a few weeks I'll turn it into a graph and see how I'm spending my time exactly.

However, just this exercise alone has made me more aware of when I am grass hopping, when I am not being productive and working towards my goals and where I can improve.

For example, I've been aware that this year I haven't been doing as many social things - mainly because I've been concentrating on work and my goals. Looking at the spread sheet I realised I really do need to spend more time with friends - it's always great to see them, plus it will go towards giving me a more balanced lifestyle.

I try to eliminate distractions when I'm working at home. No tv. Occasional radio. Sometimes I even turn twitter off!! (That's hard!)

I have asked my friends and family to help too when it comes to phone calls. When you are deep in concentration at work and then you get a social call you have to make a mental switch to accommodate the interruption. And then, of course, you have to switch back to work mode. It's not always as easy as it sounds. Your brain will be on a different tangent now and you will have to get it back on track.

So, I've asked my friends and family who would be prone to call during the day, to call me after 6pm (unless it's an emergency of course). It's working out really well.

Next time you find yourself jumping from one thing to another, take control of that grasshopper!

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