Do you often find yourself in situations where there is so much to do, but you can’t seem to focus to complete your tasks? Anything and everything can seem more interesting and fun than what you actually have to do when faced with a mountain of work to be done.
Struggling with the inner conflict between doing what we know needs to be done and allowing ourselves to be sidetracked by more appealing distractions affects anybody with responsibilities at one time or another. But, if we continue to allow distractions to waylay us while working, it can easily become a habit – a never-ending cycle of denying ourselves the satisfaction of efficiently and effectively getting things done.
Struggling to maintain focus and having to dig deep for motivation can make you dread your tasks, which makes completing them take even more time and energy. To prevent this from happening, you need to learn how to increase your ability to focus by identifying strategies that can break the never-ending cycle and get you back on track. If you learn to focus better on a given task, you can become more productive and less stressed. And who doesn’t want that?
Here are a few tips to guide you on increasing focus:
- Get rid of distractions. This may sound difficult (even impossible), but setting aside everything that doesn’t have to do with your tasks is probably the biggest step to creating your productive workspace. Setting your phone on silent, resisting the urge to check social media, or temporarily isolating yourself from others are several actions you can take to get rid of potential distractions. Although little distractions here and there may seem harmless, those attention-grabbing moments can add up to substantial amounts of wasted time and focus along the way and makes completing tasks take WAY longer than it needs to.
- Make a plan and set a clear goal each day. This may be the step that most people would like to brush over, but it’s more beneficial to your productivity than you might think. If you simply dive into your workload with no sense of organization, you are more likely to become overwhelmed and less focused. How can you be focused on a goal if you don’t know which direction you’re going? However, if you take the extra time to make an action plan, it will help you in the long run – keeping you clearly focused and knocking out your tasks one by one. Keep track of your projects and responsibilities using a planner, calendar, or notebook and set a plan each morning for what you will accomplish (and in what order) each day.
- Reward yourself. It’s in our nature to work for things we desire and expect some sort of reward for our effort. Use this mindset to your advantage – as motivation for maintaining focus and getting the job done. You are more likely to spring into action when there is a special treat waiting at the other end. For example, you can promise yourself to eat something delicious or do something fun after you finish a set amount of work. Just keep in mind that the prize is always sweeter when earned through effort and hard work.
Using these simple strategies will make a big difference in the flow of your day and your ability to be successful and productive. Isn’t it nice how sometimes it’s the simplest things that make all the difference?
Want more information? Have a question or concern? Contact me at Cathy@TheProductivityExperts.com or 314.267.3969.