For me staying focused is one of
• Listen to Background Music
If you have the means, play some background music while you are working. You can choose any style of music, but it has been shown that classical music works best for concentration. This could be because there is usually no singing to otherwise distract you. Choose whatever style works best for you, though.
• Set Up a Distraction-Free Environment
If you work area contains too many distractions, you will always be tempted to take on those distractions. Setting up a television and having access to your Gameboy while you are trying to work are likely to be counterproductive. The situation has gotten even worse now that the internet offers so many more distractions than ever. There are tools that can help you limit your internet use.
• Set Goals and Measure Them
If you set some goals and monitor how you are doing with them, you have something to strive for. This makes it much easier to focus when you know there is an end game to your work. Monitoring your progress is crucial for this to be effective.
• Delegate When You Can
Often, we are given too many tasks for any one person to complete in a day. Deadlines for these tasks seem to be getting shorter as well. Sometimes, your boss gives you these extra tasks simply because you don’t say no. If you don’t feel comfortable saying no, then at the very least, try to delegate these extra responsibilities.
• Don’t Multitask
Most people hold the belief they are good multitaskers. The truth is most people aren’t. We are not really designed to take on more than one task at a time and are too easily distracted. What ends up happening is we do a mediocre job at many tasks rather than doing a great job with a few.
• Create a Daily to Do List
Your manager usually lets you know what you need to get done at a high level. Maybe he or she tells you month-to-month what he or she expects of you. How you decide to get those tasks done is up to you. If you set up a to-do list each day, you have a clear picture of what you need to complete for the day. It won’t always happen, and there will be interruptions not included on the list. But, at least you can focus on the items that you believe will help you get closer to accomplishing the tasks your manager expects from you.
• Find Ways to Create Accountability
If you have a manager, this is probably already taken care of for you. He or she will hold you accountable for getting your job done. If you don’t have a manager, i.e., you are self-employed, it can be easy to stray from what you need to get done. Find something or someone who can help make sure you are getting what you need to get done.
• Use Time Management Software
What is great about time management software is it allows you to track what tasks you are performing on a minute-by-minute basis. Most of the software packages allow you to run a report to see where you are spending most of your time and what needs tweaking.
Find one or two accountability partners who have similar goals to yours. Set up meetings to make sure you are all doing what is needed to get your goals accomplished. Try to keep the number of people to no more than three to reduce confusion.
Use Spotify.com or a similar service to set up music for your background. The great aspect of using these services is you can specify the genre you want to listen to. You also don’t need to set up a separate radio. Be aware that some companies may not allow access to these services.
FURTHER READING
• Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence:
• The Practicing Mind:
• Focus:
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity:
• The Power of Full Engagement:
Keep It Real,
Mark