Drifting at Work? Me too.

Over the past 2 weeks, I struggled to concentrate.

I didn’t realize this at first but several days of not even doing half of the items on my to-do list was enough to indicate something was wrong.

I needed this fixed for obvious reasons. My work was piling up and I wasn’t meeting deadlines.

This made me anxious all the time, wondering when I’ll be called out for my ineptitude.

Was I spending too much time on my phone instead of focusing on the task at hand? Ehmm… Yeah, like most people I was. So, I decided to turn off my phone at the start of work to avoid any distractions, but this wasn’t still enough. Possibly, because I had not addressed the real issue.

In retrospect, my reason for indulging in what I eventually figured out to be the issue was I felt I was doing the right thing. It was for a good reason, looking out for my future self is a good reason, right? but this however was done without consideration for my current self.

The challenge was that mid-work, I would drift off into an unending thought process of how I want to do better professionally and in other areas. I’d then start scouring the internet, checking professional websites, and then ultimately end up comparing myself with people with fancy profiles and whatnot.  Don’t get me started on all the finance information I have been seeking out. I am always checking stock prices, investment platforms and the Crypto craze also got to me.

It never resulted in depressing thoughts because I was genuinely doing this for my good.  It however still got me worked up and I was unknowingly spending a copious amount of paid time doing something else. In summary, I was doing the right thing at the wrong time.

My actions were very similar to self-sabotage because the future I was envisioning can only be achieved by putting in the work, in real-time, which unfortunately I was neglecting in my foray for future direction.

My 8-5 is my ticket to the “la vida loca” life I want (except I get another ticket. lool) but I was about to ruin it. Reflecting on this made me realize that I wasn’t prioritizing effectively and that needed to change.

The first step or trick I tried was to start writing the amount of time it took me to complete a task and that was revealing for me. A simple task that should be completed in 30 mins or max an hour was taking 3 to 4 hours because of my digressions. With that knowledge, I started timing myself to ensure I stay on track.

I wouldn’t say I have been completely cured but I am more conscious of drifting thoughts, prioritizing better, and getting my day job tasks done in time. I keep the drifting and planning till after work/ the weekend. 

The goal is to get and be better. I’d like to think I am on track.