How to squash distractions and get things done — a 3-tier approach

Start-up founders face challenges on their journeys and whilst many of these challenges are external to the business, by and large, the most significant challenge founders face is the ability to focus and prioritise.

This lack of focus poses a real risk because not only does it hinder progress, but it can, in some instances, set the business backwards.

In this article, we will examine how founders get distracted, why this is the case, and how founders can fix it. Using this three-tier model, I have been able to effectively move from managing one or two concurrent projects to five or more concurrently, as well as running internal operations like recruitment, billing, and staff development.

Where do distractions come from?

There are as many sources of distraction as external stimuli or thoughts in a day. I have distilled these down into the top seven:

• Poor planning and prioritisation. It sounds cheesy; failing to plan is planning to fail. Not having a plan or priorities means that someone else will plan and prioritise for you and your business — competitors, customers, staff, etc. This could be your competitors, your staff, your prospects, or your customers (note: this doesn’t mean you should ignore what your prospects and customers are saying). The added danger is that when you do have some time on your hands, you won’t know what to do with it and end up spending it on trivial things.
• Shiny object syndrome. Ooh, look at the butterflies! This is the classic distraction. There is something new that grabs our attention, and we need to have a play with it. It isn’t terrific when the shiny object has zero to do with the goal we are trying to achieve.
• Instant gratification. Instead of thinking about a longer-term goal, as humans, we’ll often take a quick win. Instant gratification manifests itself in situations where instead of investing time in marketing or perhaps writing a blog post, we’ll build a new, unnecessary product feature because we can immediately see the results of our investment.
• Fear and risk avoidance. Often, it is fear that holds us back. Fear of failure, fear of what people think, or fear of missing out. Also, as humans, we will rather avoid risk than aim for some reward even when the chances of receiving the reward are much higher than the risk coming to fruition.
• Procrastination. It is speculated that creative people are procrastinators, but things still need to get done at the end of the day. There are many theories on why we procrastinate. One of the more common theories is that we do it not because we don’t like the task at hand but because we don’t like the feeling or emotion related to that task.
• Multitasking. As much as we believe we are good at multitasking, we are not. This is why talking on your mobile phone whilst driving is not allowed.
• Personal factors. These are typically things like low energy levels, lack of concentration, and poor health or fitness.

How can we fix this?

Whilst there are a ton of tactical fixes, for example, internet blockers, we need a holistic planning system. I have developed a three-tier system that I use,:

• Defining your strategy and key objectives
• Identifying and planning the tasks and activities you need to complete to meet your objectives
• Using tips, methods, and tools to complete the tasks whilst remaining focussed

Sound obvious? Many people will do one or two of these, but all three are a must if you want to be genuinely successful. Let’s examine why this is the case and how you can implement this system.

Step 1 – Defining your strategy and key objectives.

So much can be asked about what a strategy is and how to define it. In short, a strategy is identifying where you want to be, where you are now, and the steps you’ll take to get there.

In this step, you want to avoid vague statements, such as “I want to build a business”. Be more specific, “I want to build a profitable business from multiple streams of annuity income in the next two years”. Now you will take this down a level and identify the key objectives that will help you achieve this. Things like, “I want to write and publish an eBook about productivity” or “I want to build a SaaS product that helps TV fans find their next series to binge”.

Now we’ll take the SaaS example and break this down in the next step.

Step 2 – Identifying and planning tasks and activities.

Having an objective of building a SaaS product is quite meaty, so we will need to break this down in more detail. Identify the main tasks you will need to complete to achieve this. Start at a high level and then go a bit deeper. These tasks might be identifying the target market, validating the idea, designing a minimum viable product, building the back-end, building the front-end, testing, launching the beta version, gathering feedback, tweaking the product, and fully launching. Break down each of these into more detail. Identifying the target market, defining research objectives, validating the market size, defining user personas, conducting interviews, identifying desires and pain points, formalising the product proposition, and defining the go-to-market strategy. When the next-level tasks still seem meaty, break these down a little more. The rule of thumb is, “Can I easily understand the definition of 'done' and tick this item off”.

Once this is done, set up a Kanban board and put all the tasks into the backlog. I use ClickUp for this, but many other tools are available too. As we get through the article, I’ll talk a little more about why I use ClickUp.

Once your backlog is complete, consider your available time to work on this project. You may have a full-time job or other projects, or this may be a part-time endeavour. Try and estimate the effort required for each of these tasks. By now, you will undoubtedly have spotted that we are using some Agile principles here!

Considering the effort of each task and the time you have available, put in the actual date that you will work on each task. This is where a tool like ClickUp becomes very useful. Once you’ve added your dates, you can add a Gantt (timeline) view. You can even add task dependencies that can help you plan in more detail. Now it is easy to switch between your Kanban and Gantt views. The Kanban view allows you to add tasks quickly, plan at a high level, and enjoy a dopamine hit when you drag an item across to the “done” column. The Gantt view allows you to plan in more detail and understand how long your project might take.

The final bit to do is link ClickUp to your calendar. Now when you view your regular calendar and ClickUp calendar together (in the same way you would when booking a meeting with some), you can visualise when you should be working on your tasks and where there are potential conflicts, allowing you to replan if necessary. If your calendar is shared (i.e. colleagues can view availability and book meetings), then you should block off the time slots as reflected in your ClickUp overlay calendar. This is to protect your time.

Step 3 – Staying Focused

With time protected in your calendar, you can get down to some "deep work", as author Cal Newport calls it. Now is the right time to haul out tools, techniques, tricks, and hacks!

Notifications off

A foundational trick is to switch off your notifications. Mail, Outlook, Slack, Teams, whatever. Switch them all off. Choose a few slots in the day to consciously open your email or messaging app and deal with items you’ve received. Remember, email is the number one method for others to manage your work (instead of you managing it)!

Pomodoro technique

Getting started, my number one method is the Pomodoro Technique, named after the inventor’s tomato-shaped kitchen timer. The technique is simple, set a timer for 25 minutes and work exclusively on the task you’ve booked out the time for. When the timer finishes, take a break for five minutes. Repeat this cycle another twice and then take a more extended break of 20 to 30 minutes. You can use any timer for this; I have an app which introduces a bit of analytics which is quite helpful.

Time tracking

In addition to this, I record my time. Using ClickUp, you can start a time on each task. I have also used Toggle, which works very well. The value in this is that you can review what you have spent time on, analyse it, and use it to improve. Both in terms of optimising your time and your estimating abilities.

Buddy system

Another tool to help you focus is accountability. Use a colleague, friend, or acquaintance. At the start of your focus session, you commit to what you will individually have completed by the end. This works face-to-face, where you might get together in a co-working space. You can do it over Zoom or Teams, and there is even a website that will hook you up with an accountability partner.

You will find things difficult at some point; we all do. However, if I find myself straying off course and thinking, ah, there is this thing I need to do, I ask myself, “Will it make the boat go faster?”. That is, will it help me achieve the goal that I am focussing on? The technique is from the gold medal Olympian Ben Hunt-Davis. You can read more in the book, Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?

There are many other approaches, some very specific to your work. For example, don’t mess about formatting or spelling if you are writing content. Those can come later. If you are coding, set up your desktop(s) in a way that supports your tasks.

Then, of course, there are the things that we should all be putting into practice but often don’t. Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, drink plenty of water, etcetera.

Finally, some of the big no-no items. Do not try to multitask. During your focus periods, do not check social media. Not even for a minute; that’s what the breaks are for.

This final section is not exhaustive regarding tools and techniques but hopefully has given you a starting point.

Wrapping up

Remember, however, that these tools and techniques are not much good in isolation. You need a system like the three-step one I have laid out here.

Good luck achieving the goals you have set, and feel free to reach out to me to talk about anything planning and productivity.

UPDATE (19 January 2024). The feedback on this article has been so positive that I have done ahead and created a Notion template/dashboard to implement this system. You can check it out at https://gunterrichter.gumroad.com/l/personalgoals