Monday, July 18, 2011

5 Tips for Greater Focus


While the things you need to do in any one day gets bigger, realize you only have so many hours in a day to do it all.  The other thing to consider is how well you can focus on what truly needs to get done.  The ability to focus on the priorities will make all the difference.
Here are 5 ways to increase your focus:
1.  First comes clarity then comes focus.In order to have greater focus you must be crystal clear on what needs to be done and what is important to your current plan for life and work.  Making clear decisions on what your goals need to be will help you develop a better process on how to get there.
2.  Simplify your environment.  Your environment is crucial and it should support you and your goals.  From the comfort of your chair to the clutter on your desk.   In order to be more productive recognize the impact your environment has on you.  Your environment consists of those physical things like space and lightening and it also includes external elements such as people, piles of paper on your desk, phone calls, emails and other stimuli that can distract you from what should be your focus.
3. Stop Multi-Tasking Chronic multitaskers may have weakened their ability to focus.  The truth is that multi-tasking is a myth!  We really can't do more than one thing at a time and do it well.  Set aside a block of time to handle each item on your to-do list and focus on only that task until it is done, then move on to the rest.
4. Don't Make it Too Easy Sometimes we give up on difficult tasks or avoid them all together in order to escape to something easier.  Instead realize that a project or task that  takes mental energy, critical thinking and creativity or effort is not only going to be somewhat "painful" but it will also more than likely have a positive and maximum impact on you and your goals which means it will allow you to grow both personally & professionally.
5. Take breaks!  Yes, sometimes the key to getting more done is to take a short break in between tasks.  Most of us can only work and concentrate for chunks of time and then we need a little time to rest.  Some ideas for "break time" might include taking a walk around the block, or reading something inspirational or eve just to step away from your desk for a few minutes.

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