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    Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress
    Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress
    Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress
    Ebook176 pages1 hour

    Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress

    By Geraldine Markel

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    About this ebook

    Are distractions sabotaging your efforts to get ahead? Do you feel like you're constantly plagued by technology or interruptions by others? Lurking around us are forces-labeled demons-that interrupt our flow of attention and psychic energy

    and it's time to fight back!

    This book is designed to arm workforce employees, independent professionals, and family managers with simple, yet powerful strategies to defeat the 8 Demons of Distraction. Whatever your special life circumstances, you can use this book to reduce everyday distractions and needless mistakes.

    Find an in-depth description of each Demon, its sources, and insidious effects. Learn to:

    reduce distractions increase productivity enhance work/life satisfaction decrease stress

    Practical, step-by-step strategies will help you rid your life of formidable enemies such as: The "Technology Demon", The "Unruly Mind Demon", The "Activities Demon", and five others. Find a research-based, proven plan of attack to decrease stress and increase your daily effectiveness at home and on the job.



    "Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction is an invaluable and affirming resource for both professional service providers and consumers. There are many publications on human behavior, time management, and specific techniques for getting better organized at home and at work. This one pulls it all together, in an easily approachable, enjoyable, and thorough way. Dr. Markel presents realistic examples of challenges plaguing millions of people from every walk of life and level of accomplishment. And she follows those examples with solutions that work. Give yourself the gift of this book to enhance your own life and the lives of those around you."


    Paulette Ensign
    www.Tipsbooklets.com - The Booklet Queen
    National Association of Professional Organizers, National President 1995-97

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateJan 18, 2008
    ISBN9780595918096
    Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction: Proven Strategies to Increase Productivity and Decrease Stress
    Author

    Geraldine Markel

    Geraldine Markel, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist who is a coach, speaker, and author. She served as faculty in the School of Education, University of Michigan, and has coauthored four books on learning and performance for adolescents and adults with ADD and/or learning disabilities. Geri is the principal of Managing Your Mind Coaching & Seminars.

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      Book preview

      Defeating the 8 Demons of Distraction - Geraldine Markel

      Copyright © 2008 by Geraldine Markel, Ph.D.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100

      Lincoln, NE 68512

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

      The views expressed in this work are solely those of the authorand do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Demon art: Bidlack Creative Group, Ann Arbor, MI Cover and interior design: B. Gunia, Sans Serif, Inc., Saline, MI

      Self-help for adults

      ISBN: 978-0-595-47540-7 (pbk)

      ISBN: 978-0-595-91809-6 (ebk)

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Preface

      Introduction

      The 8 Demons of Distraction

      Your Attention Reservoir and Arsenal

      Defeating the Technology Demon

      Defeating the Others Demon

      Defeating the Activities Demon

      Defeating the Spaces Demon

      Defeating the Stress Demon

      Defeating the Fatigue Demon

      Defeating the Illness/Medication Demon

      Defeating the Unruly Mind Demon

      References

      Resources

      About the Author

      Dedicated to my family, the most desirable of all distractions

      Acknowledgments

      Medals of Honor to:

      All those who were kind enough to share their distraction goofs and glitches for inclusion in this book.

      Sheldon Markel, M.D., for critical analysis, wit, love, and constant support.

      Jane Heineken for intelligence, eye for detail, humor, and fortitude.

      Barbara McNichol for masterful editing skills with the final draft.

      Jeanne Ballew for valuable and insightful editorial advice in developing the first draft.

      Friends, family, and colleagues, readers of earlier and later drafts, for their perceptiveness, laughter, and encouragement.

      Carrie Wakulat, Lynn Nees, Carol Chan-Groening, Tiffany Dobson, Mary Morency, and Chris Bidlack of the Bidlack Creative Group for out-of-the-box thinking coupled with competence.

      Barbara Gunia and the staff at Sans Serif, Inc. for their creativity and assistance.

      Preface

      Each of us can recall incidents when being distracted caused us negative consequences. In our roles as leaders, employees, family members, and of course, consumers, our lives are filled with distractions. Although this affects everyone today, some of us are by nature even more prone to be distractible. But even those with this tendency can learn better habits, use strategies to prevent succumbing to distractions, and prosper at work and home. My story is but one example.

      Flaky but not stupid was the alias given to me by my friends. In fact, when they made silly mistakes and then found themselves in some humorous predicament, they would say they were Pulling a Geri. That’s the origin of the flaky part. However, when those same friends needed advice and observed my creative problem-solving skills, they realized that I was hardly stupid.

      How does flaky but not stupid manifest itself? Here are some examples:

      •   As a new homemaker and wife, I made macaroni and cheese from scratch. In a rush, I missed the section that said the recipe was for six, so I doubled it for the two of us. I realized my error only after I used every new pot I owned. Faced with mounds of macaroni, my husband and I laughed, called all the neighbors, and had a party. That experience was funny.

      •   Later, as a new mother, I locked our baby in the car with the motor running. That experience was anything but funny. As my children got older, I was always rushing and late to pick them up from school or other activities.

      •   Rushing also caused travel problems. Once, leaving for a visit with family, I hastily stowed the luggage in the trunk of the car but then locked the keys in with it. Not wanting to miss the plane, I asked a friend to drive us to the airport. I arrived in New York City with three kids, a box of crayons, two coloring books, and no clothes for any of us.

      Moving from a carefree newlywed to mother, caregiver, and professional was arduous. As I matured, I began to understand the not-so-subtle and serious side of distraction and inattention to detail.

      I also began to understand that some of my habits such as over scheduling and rushing were not only inconvenient but also inconsiderate. I came to realize that no amount of fun or apology makes up for a lack of consideration for a small child—or a busy spouse or a valued colleague. I didn’t want the additional alias absent-minded professor applied to me after all I’d put into my career. I didn’t have the luxury of distractibility and needed to stay on target whether at work or home. This was especially true after family tragedy struck and every ounce of our collective mental and emotional resources was needed to survive.

      As an educational psychologist, I applied research regarding cognitive-behavioral strategies. It provided me with ways to help myself with family, career, and social life. In times of great trouble, these methods become a lifeline.

      For the millions of people who are suffering the effects of everyday distractibility, this book provides a unique opportunity to enhance work/life satisfaction and decrease stress. I’ve learned to defeat my demons of distraction—and so can you.

      Introduction

      Oh no! I put the $90,000 that was to cover the payroll checks in the money market account instead of the checking account. How could I have done that?

      Although Luda is a smart, determined, and competent woman, she gets distracted by her lighthearted conversation with the teller while doing her company’s banking business. Even though her mistake is caught before any inconveniences (or costs!) occur, she suffers stress and embarrassment because of a silly error that was due to distraction.

      For many of us, the boundaries between work and life have become blurred and evermore fast-paced technology interferes with our productivity and sense of well-being.

      As we strive for peak performance, we are confronted by the threat of distraction in the form of short attention spans and poor concentration.

      Are distractions causing you to make silly, costly, or even dangerous mistakes? As a result, do you feel stupid, embarrassed, or disappointed with yourself?

      Does your crazy 24/7 life create conditions for the DEMONS OF DISTRACTION to march in and wreak havoc with your performance?

      The word demon conjures up visions and feelings of danger, helplessness, and uncertainty. Is that how you feel when you make a mistake due to distraction or inattention? And, like Luda, do you ask, How could I have done that?

      The 10 chapters that follow explore how to prevent, reduce, and avoid distraction. Each chapter offers sound, practical strate-gies—a plan of attack, if you will—for dealing with 8 common distractions and attention issues that are called the DEMONS OF DISTRACTION. Here’s a brief description of the chapters.

      Chapter 1: The 8 Demons of Distraction describes the demons that invade people’s environments and interfere with their performance and productivity.

      Chapter 2: Your Attention Reservoir and Arsenal helps you defend against distractions that deter you from living up to your potential. It also explains the importance of executive functions such as planning and organizing.

      Chapter 3: Defeating the Technology Demon looks in-depth at the distractions triggered by cell phones and other electronic devices and shows you how to deal with the insidious effects of these so-called time-savers.

      Chapter 4: Defeating the Others Demon gives you techniques for getting others to respect your need for quiet time. It addresses how to deal with difficult people and turn negative interactions into positive ones.

      Chapter 5: Defeating the Activities Demon provides you with scheduling techniques and helps you avoid procrastination and become more proficient at multitasking and making transitions.

      Chapter 6: Defeating the Spaces Demon shows you how to create work/life environments that enhance your performance. This includes tips and techniques that will help you deal with the cubicle culture, home businesses, and working on the road.

      Chapter 7: Defeating the Stress Demon describes common causes and symptoms of stress and provides you with everyday stress busters.

      Chapter 8: Defeating the Fatigue Demon describes the prevalence and effects of fatigue and provides clinically tested methods to reduce fatigue and related distractions.

      chapter 9: Defeating the illness and Medication Demonexplains how illness and/or medication can interfere with attention and lead to distractibility. It includes guidelines to minimize the side effects of medication, steps for dealing with sudden illness, and ways to prevent paper pile-up during an illness.

      Chapter 10: Defeating the Unruly Mind Demon reveals how daydreaming, hyper focus, and a racing mind can distract you from completing tasks and performing with speed and accuracy.

      The final section—Be Commander in Chief: Deploy These 10 Demon-Busting Strategies—summarizes the 10 best strategies that you, as commander in chief of your life, can apply every day.

      This book is intended for:

      •   high achievers who want to maintain their competitive edge as job challenges and work/life distractions increase

      •   people who want to upgrade their skills and attain new goals such as going back to school, seeking job promotions, or making career transitions

      •   people dealing with new technology, stress, illness, fatigue, rushing, and over-commitment

      •   people facing increasingly complex circumstances who feel overwhelmed and are worried about maintaining their performance, safety, and/or financial security

      This book provides simple yet powerful strategies for people in every station in the workforce—CEOs to entry-level, independent professionals such as speakers, coaches, clinicians, and consultants, and homemakers; in short, people who pride themselves on their excellence and strive for continuous improvement.

      Make use of the information in this book in any order that feels right for you. You may choose to start at the beginning and read straight through, or begin with the problem you’re most interested in. Taking a simple, flexible approach to facing your particular demons fosters rapid improvement.

      The chapters in this book feature real-life stories and step-by-step strategies that you can apply immediately.

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      The 8 Demons of Distraction

      Frank’s story:

      "I’m just not productive these days. I feel as if I’m under attack all day by people, calls, construction hassles, and added

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