Keep a ‘training Room’ to Get the Job Done
It’s a good idea to spend some of your work time relaxing or recharging. But sometimes you need to buckle up and spend a couple of hours at work without distraction. Here is Lifehacker’s guide to creating your own training room.
Plan it on your calendar
Instead of an open work session, plan for a specific entry and exit . You can come early and stay late. But I like to schedule something for later , so I have a deadline for completing the work.
Set up an agenda for your work session as if you were making a meeting. Make a list of what you hope to achieve. Make a list of doable things . Plan subtasks and, if possible, estimate how long each will take to complete.
Do a little preparation
Get everything you need ready. Collect whatever you might need: wipes, lip balm, money, pens, headphones. Imagine yourself working (or sit where you will be working if you are around) and list what you need. Open all relevant applications and sites on your computer and make sure they are all available. Check out any login information, written notes, and other resources you need.
Download distraction blockers . Install Freedom to block distracting sites and apps , put your phone in airplane mode, turn off notifications on all devices.
Choose a comfortable place
If your work is portable, move your work materials to a different location than usual . This may be a place you’ve worked in before, but it should be a place you’ve never fooled around before (or at least for a long time). Somewhere you didn’t sit down to work, and then didn’t work. This could be a coffee shop, a library, your friend’s apartment, a hallway, another room in your house.
Choose a place where people are watching . Personally, I can be more productive in a cafe when people see my screen. I am convinced that strangers will judge me if they see me being distracted from my work. Even if you are less paranoid than I am, the presence of some people can add a little social pressure, even if they have no idea what you are doing.
Find a place that’s comfortable, but not overly comfortable . Your needs may include food, drinks, a clean surface, bathroom, Wi-Fi, or laptop power. Some of them are important to have on hand. Some may turn into a separate project – spending a lot of money to earn a seat in a cafe, or constantly adjusting their seat, or negotiating a seat near a retail outlet. I personally recommend libraries with music and food.
Minimize the amenities you need, eat ahead of time, or make juice on your laptop, or bring just paper and a pen. If you are running on battery power or working in the library without food, use this limit as a built-in deadline. (If I start posting Lifehacker shortly before lunchtime, I’m motivated to do it quickly.)
Find a partner
If the company helps you focus, purchase. Choose someone from whom you can reflect ideas , someone who does extra work, or someone who is generally productive or focused. Don’t pick someone you like to talk to about unproductive things – if you want to hang out with your friend, just go hang out with your friend.
You and your partner should share your plans and check each other’s progress at the appointed time. Also take a break or two instead of letting work turn into chatter indefinitely.
Get professional help
If you work with multiple classmates, you can pool your money to rent hourly office space for a service like Breather and bring your own coffee and snacks.
At the top level, in San Francisco and Oakland, there is a paid training room called Focused where a coach will help you stay productive during a 2.5-hour work session for $ 30-40.
In most cases, paying $ 16 an hour for an office nanny doesn’t make sense. But if you’re doing high-impact work or looking at it as a therapy session for your work life , it’ll be worth it. Multiple sessions can improve your productivity for weeks or years. For other professional spaces and coaches, look for local shared office spaces.