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Do you find it difficult to sit down and work through big projects?  It can be hard to get into and stay in the zone — or as Emotional Intelligence expert Daniel Goleman calls it, the Flow?  Here are Productivity and Leadership Coach Ellen Faye’s five ways to get into and stay in your flow.

• Clearly define goals with an outline or plan.  Specificity will keep you on task.  
• Eliminate distractions.  Create your ideal environment whether that means no noise, white noise, music with or without words, and headphones if necessary.  
• Clear the decks.  Some people can just jump right in on big projects, but others need to check off small annoying tasks so they can concentrate.
• Block off enough time. If you need two, three or four hours, schedule the necessary chunks of time so you can stay focused and not waste time repeatedly ramping up.  
• Build in accountability and feedback.  Someone else’s expectations of you can help you stay on track.

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