QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I get distracted a lot, and am not as productive as I want to be. What can I do to support my productivity?

I strongly believe that if you love the life you are living and are living the life you love, distractions are not a big issue and productivity is a byproduct. The following tips may help you with a fresh approach.

If it isn’t scheduled, it isn’t ‘real’

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When you fail to schedule a task, it doesn’t feel real. Deciding that you will do a task when you have “some extra time” is like deciding to quit before you get started. Prompt yourself to take action by scheduling your “to do” items into your daily calendar. I use the following methods and achieve great results. Hopefully you can incorporate one or all into your day to help you get the things that you want done.

• Plan your day.

First thing in the morning, ask yourself what the one thing is that you can do to make your day highly successful.

• Define your boundaries.

With the advent of smart-phones, computers and the internet, life lacks the natural boundaries of the old days, when home and work were geographically separate. Clearly define when it is work time and when it is play time, diminishing the opportunity for one to interfere with the other.

• Set your intent.

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Not having a plan for the day is akin to being caught in a whirlwind. Ask yourself what you care most about accomplishing that day and in the near future.

• Stand firm.

Only you know what you care most about accomplishing; so communicate that when others try to lure you off course. Say “I’d love to, but no,” politely yet firmly.

• Affirm your productivity.

At the end of the day, more important than any of the above tips is to affirm where you have been productive. What did you do? Focus on that, rather than what you didn’t do. Doing this brings balance to your life.

• How you see your life makes a difference.

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You have the ability to focus on what you want, and what you focus on, is what you will see. The reality you see is the reality you create. So start by focusing on all the good you are doing each day, and you will see what a big difference that makes.

Do you have a question for Alice? If so, send it to alice@yourhappinessu.com. Alice Inoue owns Happiness U, a lifestyle studio where anyone can find positive inspiration and high-level guidance. Visit YourHappinessU.com.