Improve Your Attention Span

While your brain and its functions can be improved by improving your diet (fish and vitamins, along with a steady sugar level are absolute basics for feeding your brain), often case is that you are allowing yourself to be interrupted which is causing distraction (even if it appears to be in job description that you must down tools when boss calls). You can still put systems into place to ensure that you don't get distracted - and get a block of time available to focus your attention in. Even a response to person at door of "just a second, let me just finish this bit off" can mean that you don't waste first five minutes after a distraction trying to remember where you were.

Choose right system for you

Look at list above and decide what your main tasks are which match what each system is best suited for. Then implement a combination of them. Often all you need to do is integrate your priority list with a scheduled list (by using a diary with a loose piece of paper as your priority list of unscheduled items - just remember to allow time in your schedule to complete unscheduled items).

Many people swear by Stephen Covey time management system that is similar in layout to a diary layout but adds space for unscheduled items as well as things that aren't too specific (such as spend time with your children/work on novel etc). You can find it in his book First Things First. You can even buy fillers for your filofax based on that layout, so that you have it all to hand whenever you need it.

Give it some time

Learning and implementing a new time management system is like learning a new habit - and just as difficult as it is something extra to remember. It can take up to 12 weeks to be sure that new habit is learned, at which point it will be second nature to use your system. If it doesn't work for you, just modify it a bit and try again - it can be something as simple as buying a larger diary so that you can use just one item to record your tasks, meetings etc.

Distraction Management

Locate your regular distractions and set up a plan to minimise them (I deliberately didn't say remove them - that would be rather difficult, unless you moved to North Pole). This can be through implementing a system where you are not available to be distracted at work for a set amount of time, on premise that you will get back to them with an actual answer to their problem moment you are able to. While this may not be too popular with some of your co-workers (because you are not available at drop of a hat), fact that if you are able to be more productive during normal working hours, you will actually be able to leave work on time a bit more often. Make sure though that when you do get back to people after a no-distraction period, that you answer their question/query fully and swiftly.

Time management is not difficult; it is various things that are fundamental to them being able to work that are complicated parts. So long as you are able (both physically and mentally) to focus your attention you should find that time can be managed better. Remember though that there is no one-size fits all in world of time management systems - you will need to try out one or two before you find perfect one that works for you. Just make sure you choose ones that are suitable for tasks that are part of your daily life

“Yes, if you like them. Often, sexual attraction grows as you really get to know a person. Many of my clients with best relationships are people who were not immediately attracted to each other. The attraction grew as they fell in love with each other. Others, who were attracted immediately, lost their attraction as they got to know person.

“Many men can have sex and then just move on without any inner turmoil. Yet many women feel connected to a man when they have sex with him and then feel awful when relationship doesn’t work out. It is unloving to yourself to sleep with a man early in relationship and then run risk of being dumped because all he wanted was sex.

“Another factor is that sex without emotional intimacy is often disappointing for both people. When you have sex too early in a relationship, it might not be emotionally or physically satisfying. When sex is not an expression of love, it often feels empty, and then guy might decide that you are not right person for him because there were no fireworks. Yet if you had waited for love to develop, it might have been wonderful. You really have nothing to lose by waiting.”

“But,” replied Megan, “I always think that a man won’t like me if I don’t have sex with him.”

“Well, if you doesn’t like you for not having sex with him, what does this tell you about him?”

“I guess it tells me that he is not good husband material.”

“Right! So you have nothing to lose by not having sex right away.”

“Okay, I see that now. I see that what I’ve been doing is never going to lead to marriage. I’m going to put sex on back burner and pay more attention to caring and intimacy.”

Megan completely changed her pattern with men and within a year she was engaged to be married.