Distractions are all around us as designers, whether you work at home or in an office away from home. In order to maximize your productivity and work time, you need to cut back on procrastination. The more time you spend procrastinating, the less work you get done, which is bad news in the end. We are all guilty of it, so here are some helpful tips to avoid procrastination and start working smarter.

Minimize Distractions From Family, Pets And Coworkers During Work Hours

Less distractions means less chance to start procrastinating. When working at home, you need some rules to help family members understand that you’re not just playing on the computer, you’re actually working. You could set regular work hours, or you have a signal, like a closed door that means no interruptions. If family members are kept in the loop, they will be more understanding and accepting of your “no distractions” policy. At the office, you may get distractions from coworkers. I used to work with a guy that we’ll call Fred. Fred loved to chat, and just didn’t stop. I like to work quietly, in my own area. We had to set up some boundaries because I wasn’t getting any work done. Don’t be afraid to tell your coworkers that you’d love to be productive and can’t chat while you’re working. Breaks are fine but constant chatter is bound to be a huge distraction and a great reason to start procrastination.

Get Rid Of Clutter In Your Office

Image Source: THE WALTERS FAMILY

Clutter in your office leads to a distracted mind. Keeping your office clean and your desk free of extra junk allows your mind to focus on the important tasks at hand, rather than wandering onto all of the clutter around. Anything that isn’t necessary for your work should go; cups, stacks of paper, mail, trash, and food tend to pile up in a workspace but certainly don’t belong. Even things that are necessary for your work but aren’t being used currently, can be put away for future use. If it’s taking up space on your desk and you don’t use it everyday, put it away and bring it out as needed. This will help keep your space clean and will promote productivity.

Tame Your Phone Calls

Your phone can be a major source of distraction, causing you to procrastinate and put off your real work. Answering your phone is definitely important, especially if clients may be calling, however sometimes it’s best to turn off the ringer and really focus without interruptions. When I have a lot on my plate and don’t want to stop for every little call, turning it off really makes me work more efficiently without the distraction of a ringing phone.

Step Away From Social Media

We all love social media, but sometimes it does more harm than good. If you’re spending more time on twitter than your work, you may need to step away for a while. Social media can be a beneficial tool for networking and promoting yourself as a designer. But it should aid you as a designer, not hinder your productivity. Some days you may find you have more free time, a great chance to spend some more time on social media sites. But days with big deadlines are a different story and turning off social media updates will help.

Turn Off The Noise

A noisy environment can be a big source of procrastination as well. Some people love to listen to the radio during their work day, but that provides a great opportunity to procrastinate. If it helps you focus and doesn’t make your mind wander, then keep it, but if you find yourself stopping your work to listen and pay attention to it, I would ditch it. Visual noise like a television is distracting to the eye as well as the ear. Keep yourself on track and away from these procrastination-prone things by keeping them out of your office space. We have so many ways to procrastinate as designers. It’s important that we don’t lose sight of what’s important and get distracted with everything around us. What’s your best advice for fighting procrastination?

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