How A Person With Low Attention Span Can Get Work Done

Most of us have tried every new application, or software to keep us more organized- I have tried them all.

I'll put it out there. They weren't very effective for me. Yes, I used some of them for a couple of days, then I dropped them.

Let’s face it, the learning curve for a new productivity tool is just a lot more work; It is better to put time into my work and get paid.

So, you’re here, and you want to know how someone like me with a short attention span gets stuff organized.

Allow me to share them with you.

Sleep till You’re Well-Rested.

A good example is if I get a new client today, say around 11pm (due to tinme zone differences) . Usually, by this time, I am tired, and I just want to sleep. But then I do some light research about the project to set things in motion for the next day.

I found out that this tactic was counterintuitive. Because I was tired yet I was tasking my brain to do some more work. It just drained me more. Even when I take up the project the next day, I battle inertia, and TikTok is usually the next thing I turn to.

I now learned that resting well today helps to have a more productive day tomorrow.

Taking naps throughout the day and having enough rest is the first step for me to productivity. When I wake up, I feel a lot better. My mind is a lot sharper, and my attention span is longer. I also get to think better and work more effectively.

Do Not Disturb Mode - DND

This is a handy dandy feature that most people hardly use, but I am not most people. This feature is available on Android and iOS devices. I use an android device so this feature might work differently on your iOS phone.

When I turn on the DND, I am not alerted to any notifications, and they do not pop up on my screen, too. Even if someone calls me, I do not hear or see the call come through. But for calls, if the caller tries to ring me over 3 times, the DND lets the call ring in case it is an emergency.

There really is no need to turn off my phone because of distractions. When I turn DND off, all my notifications appear on the screen.

The Pomodoro Technique

I have a short attention span, especially for things that do not keep me stimulated or engaged. I can watch four-hour length movies, as long as it is very entertaining. If I do not find it engaging, I fall asleep. For work, if I spend over 1-hour writing, with no breaks, I just get so sleepy, no matter how much I slept the night before.

What is even funnier is when I leave my desk to go lay on the bed, sleep vanishes? I just lay there, take out my phone, and thumb through my phone idly. When I get back to my desk. An hour later, I feel incredibly sleepy. The solution to this is the Pomodoro technique.

According to Wikipedia:

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, from the Italian word for ‘tomato’, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.

Since I started using the Pomodoro technique, I can work 3 to 4 hours long without feeling sleepy or tired. There are different timings; the one that works best for me is 40mins focus time; 15mins break. There is no specific timing arrangement you should work with. Find what works for you and stick with it. I use the Marinara Pomodoro assistant chrome extension.

Simple Ol' Pen And Book

For me, nothing will ever come close to using a pen and book for writing and organizing my everyday to-do list. There are a lot of excellent tools out there that aid our productivity; tools like Trello, Google Tasks, Monday.com. But they are not meant for everybody.

I used Trello for some days but went back to just writing my to-do list out in my journal and crossing them out when you have done them—sheer satisfaction!

Some people swear by these apps and software, and it works great for them. I prefer to jot things down. I even have a cute little book in my messenger bag I carry along everywhere in case I need to write an idea or note something I need to do later on.

Google Keep

My love for this app knows no bounds. I cannot begin to tell you how useful this app is. You are probably an Evernote user. However, Google Keep users know how we can plan everything, set reminders, make to-do lists, and even start working on a project, then transfer it to Google Docs right from the Keep app. It is customizable and free. Both shine in different ways, but Google Keep shines brighter for me.

Wrapping Things Up

There are tons of articles and write-ups about productivity, and I have tried most of the suggestions shared. There is no rule of thumb to be productive; find the tools or routine that work best with you, even if it only increases your productivity by 20%. That is a win in my book.