Pay attention…focus…concentrate…prioritize…Easy to say but hard to do when so much is vying for your attention. What strategies can help you master these basic concepts? You are bombarded with so much information today that you can lose the ability to find time to think. Everything is being thought out for you. Companies want to hand you solutions–but only their solutions. You do not have time to analyze and compare, so the one who is “in your face” with the biggest sign, loudest commerical, and most frequent posting is the winner. When you get to the office, distractions increase.

All of these are part of the new term, Modern Life Syndrome. The pace of the world today, with Modern Life Syndrome mirroring ADD characteristics, besets all of us. If you have any hope of coping and continuing to be as productive as possible, you need to employ similar systems to those recommended for ADD. Some examples are:

• Prioritize your work the night before so you know where you are headed.
• Book an uninterrupted block of time into each day for focusing on the most important or difficult tasks.
• Do not let email absorb an unlimited amount of time. Set up specific times to process your messages.
• Track your interruptions. Note for two weeks where they come from, so you can find patterns and then make changes.

If you do not stop now to make changes, the result can be a major overload because of constant stress. Stress is responsible for many of our illnesses, from colds and flu to heart conditions. Why not make changes now before you lose the ability to choose for yourself?