Distraction is your real competition

Distraction is your real competition

14th November, 2022

A lot is going on around us nowadays. Our schedules are overwhelmed with tasks for our careers and personal lives. With a fast pace, sometimes we feel stressed having many notifications on our mobiles, between messages, emails, social media updates, and phone calls, apart from being interrupted physically by others. Being distracted is affecting our productivity and efficiency. If we are not feeling progress in our daily tasks, and we are doing it with anxiety, eventually, we will lose our motivation to continue doing it.

Distraction is your real competition

It is important to clear our minds and focus, but how to do this? I was running this question in my mind for a long time and asked some of the subject matter experts and some wise people. Here are some of the tips I concluded.

  1. Have a plan before starting anything of importance (at the beginning of the year, month, week, day, and hour).
  2. Set a time limit for your tasks. The shorter the duration, the better. Keep the tasks simple and achievable.
  3. Work in a noise-free environment; use headphones if you are in an open space.
  4. Keep a distraction to-do list. Whenever someone interrupts you with an enquiry, write down the action needed, continue whatever you’re doing, or decide to close the task and reschedule to complete it.
  5. Put your mobile on ‘silent’ while focusing.
  6. Avoid opening many tabs in your internet browser; keep it to a minimum.
  7. Schedule daily ‘Me Time’. Create a positive daily practice for yourself.

If everyone focuses on their lives, we will achieve what we see as impossible. Act now.

About the Author
Karim Salem, MBA, PMP®, PMI-ACP®, GPM-b™

Deputy Director – Client Relations
Head of Managed Learning Solutions

Karim Salem, MBA, PMP®, PMI-ACP®, GPM-b™, is Deputy Director – Client Relations | Head of Managed Learning Solutions at Meirc Training & Consulting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With a multidisciplinary background spanning project management, business development, events, sales, and corporate learning, he works closely with organizations across the Middle East to support strategic partnerships, capability development, and growth initiatives. Karim holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Power Engineering from Ain Shams University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship through a joint international program between EU Business School, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), and London Metropolitan University. He is certified as a PMP®, PMI-ACP®, and GPM-b™ professional and is actively involved in volunteering and professional initiatives, including with the Project Management Institute. Earlier in his career, Karim co-founded a project management consultancy firm, reflecting his entrepreneurial mindset and passion for practical, value-driven solutions. Through his role at Meirc Training & Consulting and volunteering initiatives, he has also contributed to workshops and awareness sessions focused on project management, LinkedIn branding, sales, and business development. In recognition of his leadership and community impact, Karim was selected by the British Council as one of the top Arab youth changemakers through the GlobalChangeMakers® program. He became the first Egyptian to serve as President of a Rotaract® Club in the UAE. He is passionate about professional growth, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and building meaningful connections that create long-term impact.

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