Ashley Brown 0:00 [Intro]
Distractions happen, but how do we combat them when they happen more often than not? In this episode of the routine and things podcast, I share a few practical strategies that can help you stay on track with your routine if you're easily distracted. Let's get into it.
Ashley Brown 0:31
Have you heard the routine and things planner is finally on presale the routine and things planner helps you get organized and in routine so that you enjoy the heck out of your life, you will be able to organize what matters while incorporating strong routines into your life. What's different about the routine and things planner? It uses routine blocking a simple planning method for organizing your tasks into four routine category, you will be able to organize your weeks with ease. Stay focused on your priorities. And keep top of mind what matters, including you girl. If you want your planning to be effective and to do this in the simplest way possible, then this planner is it. To get organized and use routines to create more space and freedom in your life. Get the routine and things planner today. To get your routine and things planner, you can head to routineandthings.com/plan or click the link in the show notes.
Ashley Brown 1:31
Hey, and welcome back for another episode of the routine and things podcast, girl, let's get into it today. I love talking about things like this on the podcast. Today we're talking about how to stay on track with your routine if you're easily distracted. This was a question I got from someone in this community. And I want to give you some really practical tips today like super practical, because I could go one or two ways with this. And I feel like in other podcasts I've talked about, you know how to remove distractions, but it's been more so on a deeper level of like internally thinking about certain things. But today, I want to share with you some practical ways that you can stay on track with your routine.
Ashley Brown 2:24
If you are easily distracted, there are three strategies that you could use, okay, of course, like listen to all of them, decide what may work for you decide what might not work for you. And then choose one if you feel like something works for you, or is going to work for you choose it. But these are the three strategies that I thought about that could be helpful for you. The first one is to physically remove the distraction if possible. So if you are distracted by something that you can tangibly move, like a phone, a computer, some type of visual or something, go ahead and remove it, right, that's going to be the easiest way. Because if you're constantly distracted by your phone, for example, then when you're doing your routine, you can take your phone, put it somewhere else, you can turn your phone off, if you need to, that is always an option.
Ashley Brown 3:21
You know, we get into this day and age now where we feel like oh my gosh, like my phone gotta be on 24/7. No, we don't know it don't, because what's gonna happen is what's gonna happen. And we do not have to be accessible to people 24/7. That is not true. Right. And so getting the distractions from in front of you is super helpful, especially if you know you're easily distracted by something that you can physically remove. So that's the first thing. Secondly, the second strategy that you could use is having a code word. What I mean by this is when you are seeing that you're getting distracted when you recognize, oh, I just got distracted. You could have a code word that refocuses you on your routine. For example, I do it all the time.
Ashley Brown 4:15
Because I know how it feels to get distracted. And sometimes I'll be around here cleaning my home, I'm over here jamming out to some music cleaning my home, I go into a certain closet to put the broom back the closet a hot mess. I'm like, wait, I need to reorganize this I need to get rid of some stuff. But that wasn't on my cleaning list to do like that wasn't a task that I was going to do while I was cleaning. But then I see it and I'm like, wait, maybe I could just do this real quick. But my code word is not today. Not today. Not doing it today. It will be done in another day like no. So that's my call where it is not today. Because I know myself if I start doing that then I'm gonna get really deep into it, I probably will get it done. But then I'm going to be exhausted.
Ashley Brown 5:05
And I even got into cleaning the things I actually want it to clean. Having a code word could be really great for you. And so like I said, my code word is not today, you got to figure out what your code word could be. And anytime that I am distracted, because sometimes it's legit, it's legitimate reasons why we're distracted, right? Like, first of all, it's a human instinct to get distracted. Like, that's just a human thing. We're going to get distracted at times. But when it comes to staying focus, having a code word can be really helpful for you so that you can get back to what you are actually wanting to do. And so decide what your code word could be. And what I really was going to say is when it comes to my code word of not today, is because it also prompts me to say when I could possibly get to it.
Ashley Brown 6:00
So I may be like not today, but maybe next week, right? Because in my mind, I'm like, I know, I want to do it. Is it a necessity right now? No. But it will be helpful for me to clean out this closet, because I will feel better when I'm coming into here and finding things. It will be better if it's reorganized, but I don't need to do it anytime soon. So I'll be like not today, maybe next week, or maybe like not today, I'll get to it tomorrow. I do it all the time. So having a code word could be really great for you. That's the second strategy. The third strategy that can be really helpful if you are easily distracted, is setting parameters around your time. So only giving yourself a certain amount of time to do a routine, or task within your routine, right the action within your routine.
Ashley Brown 6:50
Giving yourself a certain time limit can be so helpful, because it motivates you to get it done. Because you're like, Well, I only got 15 minutes, or I only have 30 minutes to do this. It really is a motivating factor. If you set a time limit to it. Now you have to decide if this works for you or not, for some of us is going to feel super restrictive. But for others, it may feel good for you to set like a 15 minute stop clock on your phone and be like I'm doing this for 15 minutes. That's it. Let me get it done. Let me see what I can do in 15 minutes. Let me see if I can clean up the house in 30 minutes. Let me see, right, because that's going to help you focus more because you know that in 30 minutes. That's it. So this is really helpful. That's why I think a lot of people gravitated towards the concept of time blocking.
Ashley Brown 7:42
Because if you are easily distracted that can be helpful to have time blocks for when you're going to do things. So that's the third strategy. I hope that those were helpful for you. Let me just recap how to stay on track with your routine. If you're easily distracted. One you can physically remove the distraction if possible to use a code word to refocus you or three set parameters around your time, the time that you're going to do the routine so that you can stay focused for that time. So that is all for today. The last thing I want to share with you is first of all, thank you all for sending in questions because I enjoyed this over this month answering your questions, I hope that you got the answers that you needed, and that you found these episodes helpful over the course of this last month.
Ashley Brown 8:29
And last but not least order your routine and things planner today, we still have some available, get your planner it's going to help you get organized and in routine so that you enjoy your life as much as possible. You deserve this plus more. And what I love so much about our planner is it is unique in the fact that it uses routine blocking. A very simple planning method that helps you organize your weeks with ease, stay focused on your priorities and keep top of mind what matters including yourself, go check it out, get yours if you want one, it officially launches in October. October 5 is the launch date.
Ashley Brown 9:08
I'm so excited about this. But if you order yours now if you preorder, you probably will get a little bit earlier than that as a celebration. So you can order the routine and things planner by going to routineandthings.com/plan or clicking the link in the show notes. If you have any questions about the planner, I'm here as well you can always reach out to me. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope that you found this helpful. Be sure to rate and review the podcast if you absolutely love it. But until next time, continue to enjoy wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Stay happy girl and I will talk to you next week.
Ashley Brown 9:42 [Outro]
Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, take a screenshot and share it on social I would love to know you're listening and for tools to help you start maintain and enjoy your routines. Be sure to head to routine and things.com Here's to staying happy