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 November 17th 2008
 Personal Development
 1 comment
For all the tips and advice on being productive that are out there, it’s all useless if you cant focus on what you’re doing. To be productive is to do your work as efficiently and in as stress-free a way as possible but you can’t do any of that if your mind keeps flicking to other things every five minutes. Having had my own struggles with focus recently (more on that later in the article) I thought I’d share my own tips on how I got back on track.
- Take a break
Occasionally all you need to do to regain focus is just take a break for a few minutes. Other times you might need to take a long holiday to feel the benefits but the point is, ever so often you need to get away from your work, clear your mind of it and just think about something else instead.
- Get some sleep
This is related to the above point but is worth mentioning separately because it has other benefits. Getting plenty of sleep allows your body and mind to recharge. If you’ve ever tried to focus on your work when you are tired or lacking in energy you will know what I mean.
- Plan, plan, plan
Your to-do list is full, your calendar is packed and you have colleagues knocking on your day demanding your attention. With all of that banging around your head it’s no wonder focus is hard to find. So, come up with a plan. Cut through all the chaos and figure out what you really want to do, how you’re going to do it and when you want to do it. Get it all out of your head and into a trusted system.
- Complete your work
A surefire way to lose focus is to have too many things going on. I’m currently doing some decorating around the home and kept starting new tasks without finishing old ones. Big mistake! With my attention spread all over the place I found it hard to focus. Keep the amount of incomplete tasks you have on the go to a minimum.
- Cut out the crap
It’s not just the incompletes you need to get off your radar. Whether it be the dozens of minor tasks clogging up your to-do list or projects that you really couldn’t care less about, get them done and resolved or cut them out of your workflow completely. Remember the two minute rule and put it to use. It’s easier to focus on just a handful of key, important tasks.
- Just do something
Focus doesn’t always come straightaway, especially if you have a big, complicated project. Don’t wait around till that focus comes. In these sorts of situations you just have to get active and start doing something. Once you have some momentum behind you focus will often follow.
- Figure out the next actionable step
Speaking of momentum, you can fly through your work if you know what the next actionable step is. Rather than taking on some broad work that covers all sorts of areas, pick out the one task that will move things forward. If you are struggling to empty your inbox it’s because you’re focusing on working your way through the entire contents and not just about getting that first email out of the way.
- Remove distractions
It’s impossible to get into that special place where you’re totally focused on what you’re doing when you have your mobile phone ringing every five minutes. Whether it be your phone, noisy colleagues or a messy desk, deal with them before you sit down to work.
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