Life Hacking

Stop Getting Distracted and Get Shit Done

It’s getting harder and harder to dedicate myself to a single project. With the overwhelming amount of information that is thrown at me daily via Facebook, Twitter, email, Hacker News and just about all cool projects on GitHub. How does one have the dedication and determination not to look and work on other projects when so many interesting ideas and projects are presented to you daily? As is with the big red button. It is so tempting to push the red button just to see what it does. The same is for me when I see an interesting project or have an idea.

Don't hit the Red Button

Did you watch the video and get distracted already?

I start most of my projects off with good intentions of creating them from zero to completion. I can honestly say 25% actually reach completion as I am so easily distracted. However, my intentions are good I so easily lose focus on my first goal and wander off to another project or idea without completing the first project.

Idea Overload

I found that if my project is not internet based I didn’t have this issue. I set a goal to build x and I set out to do it. The difference is I visually see x every day until it is complete and my wife usually holds me accountable. What if I can create this accountablilty with my other projects?

So I created a simple list to help keep me accountable which increased my completion percentage closer to 90%. These simple things can really be the difference between finishing a project and another half started project

How finish your projects list:

Find someone to help keep you accountable on your projects. levels.io created a tool to keep you stay accountable — https://gofuckingdoit.com
Use a todo list which you can set reminders and milestones for your project. It is good to break up your work into small sprints or milestones
If you come across new ideas put them into a list and prioritize them. For example, Justin Jackson created a really inspiring Google Docs list for his 100 things to make in 2016.
Wake up earlier! I started using the principals from Miracle Morning (Affiliate Link) to kickstart my day and set my priorties right from the start. Since I’ve introduced Miracle Morning to my routine I’ve been much more concentrated on my day and tasks at hand.
Celebrate the small wins — I now take the time to reflect on finished projects and evaluate how they went, what I can do better and celebrate the fact you pushed the project.