I've always been easily distracted.
Though I don't think any doctor would have diagnosed me with A.D.D. or anything like that, I am prone to wandering thoughts. In high school, this was a problem for me as I often struggled to put my focus into a new subject every hour. So, when the school administration decided to test a block schedule on us, I was thrilled.
I tend to let my mind bounce around like a well-struck racquetball, but racquetballs don't do well in small classrooms. The block schedule allowed me to spend a few minutes reigning in my attention. I could then spend a few hours diving into a subject without a bell forcing me to abandon my train of thought.
Interestingly enough, when I left school and became a pro athlete, I once again found my schedule in blocks. Mondays and Wednesday were for weights, Tuesdays and Thursdays were for workouts, Sundays were long runs, etc. Each day had a purpose. That sense of purpose not only allowed me to increase my focus but also gave me a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. Though the overall work was never-ending, each day's work had a very clearly defined end to it.
After nearly 15 years of working in a block schedule you think I would have carried that concept over to my work as an entrepreneur and CEO, but alas I did not.
Fortunately, our COO, Nathan Woods, recognized my struggle to find structure in each day and suggested I try implementing a block schedule into my office life. As soon as he said it, my mind lit up. It just made so much sense. With his help, we sat down and structured out my week, and it looks like this:
Monday = Team Building
Tuesday = Content Creation
Wednesday = Engage & Push Content
Thursday = Business Development
Friday = #FlyFishingFriday 🎣😁
With some structure finally added to my weeks, big things are GETTING DONE. It wasn't that I had found more time in my busy week, it's just that I was putting in the hours I had to use better. Instead of bouncing around the office from room to room, I showed up to the office and threw myself into just one task for that day.
Do you ever find that you run out of hours in the day? Do you ever struggle to find purpose and structure each day? If so I encourage you to try a block schedule. It has worked wonders for me and many members of the Run Gum Team.
To help you, we have provided you with our Run The Day - Block Scheduler.
This free resource will help you create your ideal week by giving you your own template. Plus see examples from our COO and Marketing Manager.
If you still find yourself struggling with focus, consider using a piece or two of Run Gum. It may seem counterintuitive to use a stimulant to help you concentrate, but caffeine has been shown to help with short-term memory, and the act of chewing has been shown to help you feel more alert and concentrate longer. I've been chewing a piece of Run Gum Extra Strength while writing this blog. Content creation day, it must be a Tuesday! :D
Your focused friend,
Nick Symmonds
CEO, Run Gum