These days the hardest thing in the world seems to be getting and then staying focused. In the 21st century and we seem to have a million different things to do all at once. It can certainly be hard to slow down, even pause for a second, long enough to concentrate on just one of your important goals – or even simple goals.
Majority Are Unfocused
The truth is, the majority of people are unfocused. Therefore, they are unproductive and get frustrated when they make little or no progress moving towards their goals. No one is really to blame for this, it just so happens to be the norm in this fast paced, technological age.
The problem is we limit our own potential when we are unfocused. By occupying our time with distractions that have little or no meaning, we are not adding any value to our lives. They clog up our minds, making it hard to think with clarity and prevent us from giving anything else our undivided attention.
Distraction comes in a variety of forms. It can be anything from social media, small chores which need doing around the home, a new programme on the telly or even our own thoughts carrying us away. They are an escapism from responsibility, the things we don’t want to do and the things we find too challenging. But there are bigger distractions that can also take control of our lives like raising children, looking after elderly relatives or embarking on time-consuming projects.
Simple And Difficult
Glued to social media, absorbed in our phones or idly wasting time, we seem to have an untameable desire to be distracted, then we complain when we lose command of our day. But to focus is both the simplest thing in the world and the most difficult. It takes a great deal of motivation, dedication and a right mind frame. We have to actually want to focus to be able to do it. That’s the first step.
Now, the concept of ‘focus’ can be interpreted in two possible ways, either for the short term or the long term.
Short Term And Long Term
A short term period of focus is more like concentration, where our undivided attention is on a certain task or activity, such as updating a blog, writing emails or planning your next project. This is all about engaging your mind and completing the task to the highest standard as part of a to-do list.
Alternatively, our focus can be on something in the future, such as a particular goal or ambition we have to work towards. This can be things like building a successful business or reaching the highest level in a career. When striving for something that may not happen for another few year, it is easy for us to lose sight of the goal either due to boredom or frustration. It can seems like we’re not making progress, when in fact, the completion of lots of smaller tasks takes us closer every day.
Achieving the desired level of focus to get the most benefits is all about training our brains. The glowing satisfaction we receive from giving our whole attention to a single task is good for our personal growth and development. It is so rewarding to see something which needs to be done and then finishing it. This is what we should be thinking about when we try to focus: not only the benefits of completing a task, but the way it makes us feel when we do.
Steps You Can Take
But when we are struggling to focus, there are a couple of things we can do to clear our minds and get ourselves into a correct work ethic:
1. Increase productivity and efficiency by handling one task at a time. Multi-tasking can be detrimental to ticking off everything on our to-do list. It is ineffective to try and do multiple things at once because we don’t give a task our full attention and time. So, we end up doing it half-heartedly and to a sub-standard level.
2. Learn to say no. It’s hard saying no to people or passing up the opportunity for social activities. But time is precious and we should utilise it wisely. Setting aside even just an hour of ‘focus time’ in your day can massively increase your productivity. Tell yourself that this time is none negotiable. Get rid of all distractions; turn the phone off, close or block social media and get to work. It’s amazing what we can do with a pre-determined mindset.
3. Set goals and place them where they can be seen. This is particularly useful when working on long term projects and goals. For example, if attempting to redecorate the house, we don’t try and do it all at once. Well, some people might and they find that things get forgotten about and everything takes longer than it is supposed to. We break the work down by room, and specify what exactly needs doing in each room. Then we give ourselves a time frame, like a month per room. Crossing things off as they are completed helps us see how far we are from reaching completion of the project.
4. Prioritise tasks and remember what is really important. We should take a moment to sit back and think about what needs doing immediately and what can be done at a later date. Anything else is just a distraction so eliminate it. Making this list will certainly help to organise the mind and get our focus back on track.
5. Start meditating. This is possibly the most important suggestion. Having some quiet time to ourselves once a day can do wonders for our mental well-being. We should try going for a walk, sitting in a quiet room or listening to soothing music more often. Anything that will help us clear our mind and listen to our own thoughts. That way it is easier to sort through them, reflect and contemplate. Focusing will be much easier afterwards and we will be able to understand ourselves, our emotions, our wants and our needs to a greater extent.
Productive And Happy
When we can finally achieve the right level of focus to be productive, it’s amazing the things we can achieve and the opportunities we will see. Focus is important for us and our physical and mental well-being. Not only will our productivity soar through the roof but ultimately we will be happier, with a more positive outlook about the way we work. Distractions can affect our stress levels, our overall mindset and attitude to life so it’s important to minimise them.
Focus Is About Mindset
Focus is all about mindset and finding the way you work best. It is not some elusive concept that only a few have. It comes from within and with it we can achieve a level of greatness that we could never have thought ourselves capable of. Take a positive, proactive approach to life and focus will come naturally.
“If I can do anything to help you to get focused and to stay focused don’t hesitate to [Contact me] today. I wish you well.” ~ Anthony
