Hi everyone,
Thank you for the replies, they are much appreciated, don't stop now if you've got more to say.
I'd like to add one point that I don't think has been mentioned yet but is something that I think can make a big difference.
Until now, when I've really had to think about getting sorted, I've always known about but completely ignored the importance of a decent workspace.
I have my own personal space and this is filled with things that I enjoy, unfortunately having an area full of things I enjoy isn't the best place to get some work done. Because of this I'm going to spend the rest of the day sorting out somewhere I can go to get things done that I need to do without any distractions taking place. It will just be a small corner of my room, probably just my desk, that I can go to and tell myself, "I'm here now so I will do what is important". I'll have to keep a computer there but, like I said, this isn't a big problem for me because I can log off the internet safe in the knowledge that it will probably still be there later. It's more important that I concentrate on being comfortable, with space to lay out what needs doing and as little clutter as possible so the only thing I can focus on is what I am going to do.
Just as importantly, I'm also going to politely ask my family that if I'm here then I'm working and I really would appreciate it if I wasn't disturbed too much. When I do manage to get a decent train of thought going it's very frustrating to get distracted by something simple because then I'm off again, farting about doing something that I really don't need to be doing. I suspect my cats won't appreciate the reduced amount of attention they are getting but I shall make up for that with extra stroking and talking when I have done what needs doing. I can tell them all about the work I did while they were busy sleeping.
The less distractions I have in this area, either from myself or other people, the more chance there is that I'll sit down and get on with what needs doing. Phone off, msn off, emails not logged in and other people considerately letting me work.
I've also drafted up a short to-do list. I may not be able to stick to it rigidly because every day is different but I have at least been realistic so I don't fail immediately, get disheartened and give up. The one area I am going to have to be strict with myself is sleep, I don't get anything productive done at 3am in the morning so I would be better off sleeping and using the hours I've saved to do something in daylight.
I don't expect that part to be easy because my body is used to the late nights, I'm not sure how exactly I'll manage to get to sleep before 12 but I shall try and I will get up when I have planned to regardless of how tired I am. After the first week hopefully my body will catch up pretty quickly and I'll be set. Then it's just a matter of not letting myself down.
As I become more productive I can break up the tasks into smaller chunks so these can easily be moved around any unexpected distractions that definitely require my attention for an extended period of time.
Again with the long post? Stop rambling foapysish and get some work done!
