Focus is something I continue to work on; it is more challenging for some of us than others and I know for me it varies based on what I am doing. In our culture, many of us have the “shiny object syndrome”, jumping to the next interesting new e-mail, conversation, blog post, or video before the current task at hand is done. I recently heard that if a video on You-Tube is longer than two or three minutes it is too long to be popular. This is a short attention span and can make for a lot of incomplete tasks and missed dead-lines.
Focus is a powerful tool for navigating to a specific destination. Keeping focused on a desired outcome will motivate you to overcome obstacles and stay on your path. But, focusing on the wrong things can do the exact opposite. Recently I realized that I was not making progress on a project because my thoughts were focused on all the times I procrastinated my project tasks. The more my thoughts were about the procrastination, the more procrastination I got! Albert Einstein is often quoted about this: the same thinking that created the problem will not create the solution. Notice what you are focusing on both in your thoughts and actions. It is powerful.
Here are some ways to maximize your focus:
Set an alarm. This is one of my favorite tools for focus; it allows me to forget about the time and keep my attention on the task at hand. Make it a manageable time that does not induce dread and will give you a quick win to motivate you for more progress. Five minutes to sixty; whatever works for you.
Create your focus list the day before. This allows your subconscious to do some processing while you are asleep. At the beginning of your day, review the list and make adjustments based on any new insights.
Create your planned focus items for the year, quarter, month, week, or day. If you have no focused destinations you will go wherever the next shiny object or detour takes you. Create big destinations and then focused action plans and task lists to take you there. Do not plan out every single step for the entire trip; ideas for actions will develop as you make progress. Hire a coach if you are struggling at creating your plan or sticking with it.
Adjust based on new information. Your focus may need to change based on new information or unanticipated changes. Be open to deliberately altering your path (but not based on an obstacle or a new shiny object).
Notice what your thoughts are focused on. Is that voice in your head talking about the difficulty of the task or that time you missed that deadline or the fear of what might happen? Your thoughts have a lot of power; the good news is that you have control of them! Switching to thoughts of your accomplishments and the excitement of reaching your destination will keep you focused on the right things for more success with a lot less stress.
How do you stay focused? Please share in a comment.
photo credits: PixiesandPixels, GipseyFae