Time for the Tuesday Ten Minute Toss Challenge! RIGHT NOW spend 10 minutes tossing distractions! Not all forms of technology add value to our lives or contribute to improving or simplifying our work process and results. Today take 10 minutes to toss out or reorganize the software that disengages you from reaching your goals.

While it’s unreasonable for many of us to get rid of source of the most distractions, Web browsing software, it may make since to get rid of some of the games or widgets that compete for our attention when we sit down to work at the computer.  When work gets hard or boring, what software do you turn to instead of sticking with it and finishing the task at hand?  Does your Twitter or sports news feed pull you away from engaging with your work?  What can you remove from your screen to help create a workspace that encourages focus?

Consider the software on your smart phone.  How often does a ping or vibration disengage you from your work?  Knowing that even the smallest distraction results in several minutes of lost focus and productivity and that multiple distractions in a day result in lost hours, what are these notifications from your smartphone software costing you?  Consider turning many of these notifications off.  You decide when you need to check in with email, Facebook or Words with Friends.

If you have ideas for a Tuesday Ten Minute Toss Challenge, please let us know! In the meantime, check back weekly for a new challenge and make sure to join in the fun. We look forward to hearing about how you do with the challenges.