Isaac Oakeson: All right. What is up everybody? Isaac here with Civil Engineering Academy coming at you with another fun podcast episode. I just got back from a week-long visit in Texas. Everything is indeed bigger in Texas. Actually had a nice big sinus infection there, too, and it was bad. But you can hear to my voice a little bit and came back with some nice drugs to help get me off that sinus infection gene. But we're doing better.

Isaac Oakeson: So anyway, today, we're gonna be talking about distractions. And there's some interesting statistics out there, including people that go to the office and how much time people are actually focusing. And the average is actually only three minutes that office workers can focus at one time before you get distracted by a bunch of other stuff. So today's episode, I want to bring my brother Mark on. We're gonna talk about distractions, how to avoid them and maybe some tips so that you can be less distracted and really focus on your studies at hand. It could be FE, PE, or it could be, you know, work-related or school-related as well. So, let me bring Mark on and we'll chat all about it. And it's be coming up, right after this.

Isaac Oakeson: All right, Mark. What is going on?

Mark Oakeson: Hey, Isaac. It's good to join you again. We always have fun doing these things.

Isaac Oakeson: Well, I guess real quickly, before we dive into talking about distractions in general, what's your workplace like? Let's say, when you come into the office, are you easily distracted there or can you actually focus on stuff?

Mark Oakeson: Well, unfortunately, I get easily distracted. And most of that's because, you know, I'm a supervisor. There's a lot of people that report to me. And during the course of the day they have questions. You know, I try to empower my people to make, you know, most of their own decisions, but a lot of times they have questions about different little issues that come up, you know? Throughout the day. And so they want to get a hold of me and talk about those things.

Mark Oakeson: So, yeah. I usually have kind of an open-door policy, you know? Where I don't mind people coming in and talking to me about their issues, because I want to help them get past things. But, yeah. It's very distracting. And then on top of that, I've got my cell phone there, you know? And clients are calling me and different things are going on during the course of the day. Even the superintendents that report to me. You know, when they have different issues, they're calling me throughout the day. So yeah, my office is ripe with distractions.

Isaac Oakeson: But those sound like good distractions. Like, at least the ball's moving forward if you're helping somebody. Oftentimes, if you're using a cell phone, it's usually because, you know, some app or program wants your eyes on the phone, which isn't really probably helping you.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. So, if you put it in those terms, then, you know, my distractions are work-related in the office. I'm not being distracted, by, you know, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or any of those things. I'm not a real big social media guy anyway. And so, those kind of things never bother me. But I do have a — You know, I got a to-do list myself and it's tough to get that to-do list done with, I'll call them "internal type distractions," that get to me.

Isaac Oakeson: Well, I think that leads to kind of our first point if you're dealing with distractions. One of the first ways to really combat that is to get organized, and that can be a to-do list, like you've got. You know, even with things going on, you know you've gotta get to that list at some point. So, you know, is there a tool or something, or you just write it on paper? What's been your best [inaudible].

Mark Oakeson: I'm a sticky note guy. So, I used to try to use my outlook, you know, to try to keep track of my to-do list. But I found that, if I just have a little stack of sticky notes that I could just write down things that come to mind, things that I know I need to get to, and that's how I do it.

Isaac Oakeson: Nice.

Mark Oakeson: I've got, usually, a series of five to six sticky notes that I've written things down on. And they're kind of stuck on the side of my monitor at my desk. And as I get things done and I cross them off, then I pull them off and, you know, throw them away. But that's my system.

Isaac Oakeson: Hey, everyone's got a different way of doing it.

Isaac Oakeson: I know if you're studying for the FE or PE, a way to get organized could be, you know, doing time blocking. You know, making sure you've set aside time specifically for your studies. If you're in school, that could be the same thing. But definitely having a to-do list or to try to get organized. Whether that's electronic, you know, on your calendar, or whether it's a sticky note, I think goes a long ways to helping you as you're trying to figure out ways to be less distracted to focus on important things.

Mark Oakeson: The other thing that helps you with, Isaac, is, I think, just the anxiety, right? A lot of times when your to-do list is kind of, you know, bouncing around in your head -- At least that's my problem is, when I don't have it written down and so I know I'm not going to forget it, I tend to get more nervous about it, right? "Oh, now. What if I forget this? What if I forget that?" And so when you're writing things down, for me anyway, it takes away that anxiety about making sure you're remembering everything, staying organized.

Isaac Oakeson: Well, that brings me to another point. And that is breaking up big things into small things. So oftentimes, we're seeing big tasks that need to be done and those get really overwhelming for us. So, you know, using your sticky note method, or I guess any other method, how are you able to break up large tasks that you have on those into smaller ones? Is there a method or a way that you've been able to handle that?

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. So when I've got big tasks, I will divide them up. You know, usually there's a deadline associated with that large task that I need to work towards, and so I'll actually divide up. Maybe I know I need at least a couple of hours of non-distracted time, meaning even the internal distractions that I was talking about before, I'll even shut those off. Because, you know, those people that report to me, they're just gonna have to wait, because I've gotta focus on this task that I've gotta get done.

Mark Oakeson: And so, if it's a big task, I'll allocate a couple hours every day where I can do that. And I'll shut off my phone, I'll shut my office door, so people know that I'm busy or they think I'm gone.

Isaac Oakeson: Either way.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah, either way. And then I'll be able to just focus on that one thing, because I can't -- You know, the multitasking thing, I think it's a myth. Nobody can multitask. All they do is shift from one -- Their brain just shifts from one task to the other as they're bombarded with these distractions. And so, for me I have to create that blocked out time and then it's shut the phone off. And then, I don't even look at the email either because that can be a distraction even though that may be a legitimate issues that are coming up that I'll need to deal with eventually. But at least I'll have that two-hour block of time that I could just focus on the task and knock out, you know, big chunks of the project that I've got in front of me.

Mark Oakeson: And so that's, that's what I'll do. I look at it in two-hour blocks, is the way I look at it. And so, I'll say, "Okay. Monday, I'm gonna block myself out for two hours. Tuesday, I'll do two hours. Wednesday I'll do two hours and I think I'll be done by then." And within those two hours, I've blocked out everything, including shutting my door so nobody comes in.

Isaac Oakeson: Yeah. So it sounds like, and this is another tip, is that you've set up an environment for you to be successful with study or whatever the task is at hand. If people are preparing for the FE or the PE exam, how important is it for them to set up some sort of environment for them to find a place to study and whatnot?

Mark Oakeson: Oh, I think it's essential. I mean, whether we're talking about, you know, a project that I may have at work or, you know, studying for a test, it's all the same mental focus, the same type of mental focus and mental effort that you have to direct towards your studies or your project, whatever you're doing.

Mark Oakeson: It's just, if you can't shut your brain off to everything else in your environment and just focus on the task at hand, on the curriculum at hand if you're studying for the test, man, you're setting yourself up for failure because that's when you can learn, that's when you can focus. That's when, you know, your brain can really concentrate on the curriculum is when you don't have any of those other distractions.

Mark Oakeson: So setting up an environment like you're talking about. You know, a lot of us are busy; we've got families; we've got kids; we've got, you know, spouses, and so we have other responsibilities. So, you know, it's important in work responsibilities, too. And so, it's just important to be able to carve out that time. And that lends itself, also, Isaac, to saying that, you know, you should give yourself enough lead time leading up to a test for study, you know?

Mark Oakeson: Carve things up into digestible blocks of time where you know that, "Okay. Maybe the kids are going to bed at, you know, nine o'clock at night and I can study for a couple hours after they've gone to bed." You know, maybe that's the time that you've got. Maybe it works better for you early in the morning. But finding those blocks of time where you can just focus undistracted is just --- I mean, it's everything. That's really, really important.

Isaac Oakeson: I've seen pictures of people that do study, and sometimes those areas, those environments that work for them, are even their closed closets. You know, finding a spot that works for you.

Isaac Oakeson: And that's okay. I remember when I studied, you know, it was like the kitchen counter, you know? Had all this stuff spread out on the kitchen counter. At the time, I didn't have a lot of other distractions and that was the place that I could go to and really study for that.

Mark Oakeson: For me, I had to go, you know, reserve a room at the library because my boys were little at that time. And I knew if I was home, they'd wanna be with me and jump on me. You know, we were always good about playing and having fun together. And so if I were home, then they would think it's playtime.

Isaac Oakeson: Oh, yeah.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. So the way it worked for me is, I after work, I would just plan on stopping at the library, you know? For a couple hours before I went home.

Isaac Oakeson: Perfect. Well, find your spot, find your environment.

Isaac Oakeson: Another tip to go along with that is make sure that you keep things clean and tidy. I know that sometimes that's hard for people, but I think your mind can focus a lot easier when it's not, you know, cluttered with a bunch of crap everywhere. So, you know, take that as another tip to help you with less distractions.

Isaac Oakeson: Obviously, if you're studying, you know, you wanna silence your phone and you don't wanna be distracted by that. But at the same time, some people study, I guess, better when they have some sort of background like music or something that kind of inspires them in the background.

Isaac Oakeson: And I don't know if everybody is like that, but I do know people that study with music on to kind of help them get in the mood of focus. I don't know what that music is, whether it's classical or whatever. But what's your thoughts on music to help you cut out some of the noise and help you focus?

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. You know, if it works for you, I say that's great. I know for me, if I'm trying to read something and concentrate on meaning of what I'm reading, music is a distraction to me. But you know, that's the way my brain works. And so, I like it quiet. But I know there are some people, and I think that's great. If a little music in the background helps you focus, helps you relax, you know? Yeah, that's a good idea. Do it. Do it.

Isaac Oakeson: I like it. Another thing that I think is important is, how do you celebrate kind of the small wins? I mean, after you set a goal that's really hard, maybe it's preparing for an exam, maybe it's a project, what's your advice for taking breaks or even setting up some sort of reward system for you after you've achieved some sort of goal to reward yourself?

Mark Oakeson: I think it's a good idea. I try to do that as I -- You know, my stuff at work is usually centered around a team effort, you know? And so, if we've got a big project and we hit milestones and we're delivering things that we've promised to our clients, I'll take my team out for lunch, you know? It's kind of a little reward for getting different milestones done, and that's been appreciated.

Mark Oakeson: But as you're studying for a FE or PE task, there's little simple things that you can do to reward yourself. I mean, you know, maybe there's a favorite treat that you like. You're like, "Okay, I'm gonna get through this certain bit of curriculum." Maybe you're studying for geotech or water resources or whatever, and you set a goal for yourself to get through a certain amount of the curriculum at a certain time. And if you make that goal, then maybe you reward yourself with your favorite treat, whatever that might be.

Isaac Oakeson: Maybe it's you sacrificed your favorite show you haven't binge watched yet because you needed to put it off.

Mark Oakeson: There you go. Exactly. Maybe you've put off, you know, your favorite series, your favorite Netflix show, whatever it is. So you say, "Okay, if I get through this, you know, part of the curriculum, I'm gonna reward myself with a three-hour binge session or whatever.

Isaac Oakeson: There you go.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. So just those simple little things that you enjoy doing, yeah. Give yourself little rewards like that, because it's -- I don't know, there's something mental about that that we respond well to, you know, in the workplace and just doing it to yourself as you accomplish goals. There's something mentally positive about doing that and it kind of helps you keep going. It keeps you motivated, right?

Isaac Oakeson: Yeah. I agree. You know, give yourself a little bit of a reward or know a reward is coming as you're getting through a challenging thing and you probably wanna get to that goal a little quicker. So maybe you push yourself to do it in whatever way that looks like. So, cool.

Isaac Oakeson: Well, one of the last things I kind of wanted to hit on with you is this idea of being present. So we've talked about cell phone usage and, you know, turning off distractions in terms of that. We all know that cell phones are a big distraction, but how important is it to be present with either someone you're with, or your employer or anything like that?

Isaac Oakeson: You know, with cell phones, it's so easy to just sit there and text or look at something. But being present is kind of a big deal. I've seen people go to dinners and, you know, never looked at each other or whatnot. What are your thoughts on that?

Mark Oakeson: Well, I've been in interviews where I'm interviewing potential, you know, hires that wanna work for me and, I mean, even during interviews, they'll pick up their phone to look at whatever notifications popped up.

Isaac Oakeson: Their LinkedIn came in with the next one. The next interview.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. If that's it, you know, whatever. But I'm sure it's just some tweet or, you know, somebody's posted something on their Facebook or whatever, or somebody's texting them. But I don't know. That's a big deal. Not only is it just common courtesy, you know? If you're dealing with a client, a colleague if you're at work, a loved one, you know?

Isaac Oakeson: Yeah, my wife has a problem with me. I'll be honest. I gotta do better.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. And we got that phone and, like, I don't know, the longer it goes and the more alerts that we can kind of feel, maybe what's in our pocket and it's buzzing, you know? And we think that our alerts are stacking up, even makes us more nervous as we go along.

Mark Oakeson: But I don't know. It's just so important to just, when you are in a situation, a meeting, when you're in a, you know, an interview, when you're in an interaction with a loved one, be in that moment. If your brain is constantly switching over to what could be on your phone and what text could be on your phone or whatever, it's not enjoying where you are.

Mark Oakeson: I mean, how many times have you gone to a concert or an event, you know, and everybody's so worried about recording it on their phones that they forget to just sit there and enjoy the event, whether it's a concert, or a show, whatever. They're so worried about having their phones out and recording things that they just can't be present and enjoy it.

Mark Oakeson: I've seen that at some of some outdoor venues, you know? Where we're looking at some kind of a natural, you know, wonder like we have in some of our national parks around the country you know? And rather than sitting there and enjoying their surroundings and what's actually going on, they're so busy with their phones trying to record it for whatever reason that they can't enjoy it. They're not present.

Mark Oakeson: And so that affects your studying too. If you're, you know, trying to study for your test, that that can be a big issue, you know? If you've got that time that you've blocked out, be present. Just focus on what you're doing at that time.

Mark Oakeson: But, yeah. I don't know, Isaac. It's a hard deal because all of us are in an environment where we've just got so many distractions that you've gotta consciously block some of those things out. Especially if you're in an interpersonal kind of an interaction scenario. A meeting, an interview, conversations with loved ones. And you gotta get good at just not worrying about picking up that phone.

Isaac Oakeson: Yes. You know, you can always lose it like I do, and then you don't have that problem anymore. Just lose it in the house.

Mark Oakeson: Yeah. Yeah. That's one way to deal with it.

Isaac Oakeson: Find it a few days later.

Mark Oakeson: That's right.

Isaac Oakeson: Well, awesome. Well, I think we've given some great tips for people. Distractions are everywhere. Hopefully with these tips, we can help you improve your study habits. Obviously if you need additional help, definitely come check us out at civilengineeringacademy.com. Mark and I put together the FE course, the Ultimate Civil FE Review Course, if you're preparing for that. And you can find that at civilfereviewcourse.com. We also have a PE review course at civilpereviewcourse.com and tons of free resources on our YouTube channel.

Isaac Oakeson: So definitely check us out. Thanks for listening to us. If you haven't shared this with a friend, please consider doing it. We love getting the word out about this, and it's always fun to do. So Mark, thanks for doing this. And I'm sure we'll see you on another episode.

Mark Oakeson: You bet. Looking forward to it already.

Isaac Oakeson: All right. Talk to you later. Bye.