Episode 58: What to do if you keep falling down rabbit holes

00:51 Welcome to Unfrazzle, a podcast for solo business owners with a big vision who are ready for a kinder more sustainable approach to productivity. I'm Louise Miller and each week i share bite-sized insights to help you step away from the hustle stop faffing and stay focused so you can make your brilliant ideas happen and make a bigger impact in the world So grab yourself a cuppa and let's get started A few months ago one of my 1 to 1 clients sent me a voxer message saying she kept falling down rabbit holes and was finding it really hard to stay focused on what she was meant to be doing. And I think we've all had days like that haven't we? Where we know what we're meant to be doing, We know how important it is but we just can't seem to settle...and when you're feeling like that

01:35 How long do you stay stuck there? And what does that look like for you? So the client who sent me that SOS in Voxer, she'd got some really important work to be getting on with that day but instead she found herself watching recorded sessions from an event which had been a few months previous and it felt like worked her because she was learning something. But were things she was learning actually relevant to her priorities right now? No! They weren't which is why she reached out to me Yes they were entertaining, they were interesting But those videos were also taking her down a rabbit hole that she really didn't need to be in right now. A rabbit hole that was stopping her from doing what she'd intended to do and because that then meant she wouldn't be on track with her plans, that then threatened to derail the whole of the rest of her week Needless to say I was very happy she reached out and asked for help when she did

02:25 And during that little exchange I had with her on Voxer, I shared five things she could do to help her settle and refocus. So the first step is to reset and this is just about stopping Taking a deep breath before you get going again and giving yourself a bit of a clean slate. So, you know closing any tabs or windows that you've got open that you don't need Clearing your desk so that you have the feeling of a fresh start, that feeling of a clean slate And this is the most important step because it's where you acknowledge the fact that you've been faffing without giving yourself a hard time

03:10 And then telling yourself that you're going to do something different now. You're going to get focused on what's actually important now, so having that kind of fresh start feeling the clean slate feeling is really helpful So the first thing to do is just stop completely and then step two is to take back control. This is where you choose What are you going to do next? And something you can do to really cement that in your mind and make that commitment to yourself. You might feel a bit weird but say it out loud, say out loud what you're going to do next or if you can't do that, if you look a little weird when you are out an about somewhere at the coffee shop working and suddenly announce to everyone around you what you are about to work on, you could at least write it down. Engaging with it some way will give you stronger connection to what your doing

03:58 And quite often, you know a common reason that people fall down the rabbit hole in the first place is because they've got lack of clarity around what they should be doing. So in this step 2, this making your choice deciding what are going to focus on it will give you that clarity and then writing it down or saying out loud will give you stronger commitment to doing nothing. And then Step 3 so we stopped with chosen what you're going to do. Step three is to get ready to take action. So only open the things that you need put your phone in another room Only have things on your desk that you actually need. Close your inbox so that it doesn't distract you, So that you can then move onto step four which is to get started right and actually start taking action. So almost imagining yourself as if you've got blinkers on approaching the task as you might approach a meditation right? If you start to feel uncomfortable or bored or you're feeling the urge to reach for distraction

04:55 All you need to do is notice that and then remember that you are the one in control. You have made that choice about what you're going to be focusing on, and then just stay with the task. And step five is something that will help you with that so something that you can do if you do struggle with distraction is to start a distractions list. So have a piece of paper next to you And every time something pops into your mind that it might need your attention, something you need to go and do. Something that you need to check, something you're worried you might forget write it down on that distractions list and then you can carry on with what you're doing knowing that you can return to that thing on your list You are not going to forget because you've written it down

05:35 So just a quick recap. Step one is to pause, take a breath clear the decks a little bit give yourself a clean slate step two is to choose take back control make a choice about what you're going to do next Step 3 is to then set yourself up for focused action by only opening and having around you the things that you actually need, putting all other distractions away. And then step 4 is about getting started in taking action and step 5 is to have that distractions list handy so that when something pops into your head you can write it down and carry on with the task at hand Those five steps, they don't need to take long but they can really help you to get back on track if you've found yourself falling down a rabbit hole. But don't worry I know you've got a lot on your plate so it's unlikely that you're going to remember them all and that's why i've popped those five steps into a PDF for you to download and then you can keep that handy the next time you find yourself down a rabbit hole! So there is a link to grab your free copy of that in the show notes And as always I hope this helps and look forward to seeing you again soon

06:38 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who needs a dose of calm productivity in their life. And I'd love it if you could leave me a rating and review as that will help more people discover this podcast! If you would like to hear more from me – to help stop faffing and take back control of your time – You'll find the link to join my mailing list in the show notes and I would really love for you to join us! Thanks so much for your support and look forward to seeing you next time