Who doesn’t say they need to be more productive? Have you heard the question: "If you can't find the time to do it right, how will you find time to do it over?" That question should be plastered right in front of us in this age of multitasking.

Multitasking has its place. There are times when you can do several things at once. You can read while you're on the Stairmaster. You can answer email while you're waiting at the doctor's office. You can talk on the phone and dust the office.

But beware. Multitasking isn't doing two or more things at the same time. It's rapidly switching between tasks. And that takes a toll on your energy and efficiency.

This is most damaging when you're trying to get work done on a project or something that requires concentration. When it's time for that kind of work, forget the multitasking and take the time to focus.

Research tells us that most people will do their most productive work in blocks of about an hour and a half of uninterrupted time. That seems to be enough for most of us to get into a project, make some serious progress, and wrap up.

But the key here is uninterrupted time. And the key to having uninterrupted time is showing some self-discipline. Eliminate distractions. Shut off the phone. Don't check email (gasp!). Lock the door. Don't do anything but the work at hand. Raymond Chandler, of Philip Marlowe fame, used to advise writers that they didn't have to write during the time they scheduled for writing ...but they weren't allowed to do anything else.

Take a break. When you're done, take a break. Do something else. That's a good time to check email and return calls. Get up. Walk around. Don’t burn your self out.

If this is new to you, start small. Schedule a forty-five minute block of time for this type of project-work every day. Let’s face it; none of us are so important we can’t hold off on responding to email or phone call for 45 minutes. After we recover from this trauma, increase your ‘blocked-off time’ to an hour and a half, and then two hours. You'll be amazed at how much you get done …and how your world doesn’t come to an end without email and voice mail.

Be Bold! Be Merry! Eliminate distractions.

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