timeAt SOS, we subscribe to the idea that organization of office & living space environments can help increase productivity & make your use of time more effective.

But how do you stay disciplined with a busy scheduled with multiple demands? Harold Taylor wrote a great article, “Controlling Your Environment Counteracts Low Self-Discipline” in his monthly newsletter with some very practical advice about how to organize your office space and time though discipline & focus on your environment:

…turn off your cellphone, engage voicemail, turn off email alerts and close your office door at specific times while you work on your priority projects. Remove all clutter and other potential distractions from your immediate work area – including any in-baskets. Don’t have family photos or memorabilia in your line of sight. Face a blank wall, not a window or open doorway. Work on projects for 60 or 90 minutes at a time – maximum. If you find that’s too long to postpone urges to interrupt yourself, shorten the work sessions. You can always increase them gradually later. Between sessions you can check email, return phone calls and grab a coffee. Work in short sprints rather than attempt marathons. Research shows that it takes a lot of energy to practice willpower.

Do what you can to develop a work environment that makes it easier to resist the temptation of interrupting yourself or others, checking email constantly, grabbing for your smartphone whenever there’s a call or being distracted by other things.