Focus? What Focus? How to Focus on Your Focus!

I don’t know about you, but this past year has me working very differently than I worked before, and one of the good working habits I struggle to maintain is focus.

I’m guessing if you have young kids at home all day, you just laughed at my first paragraph. Even if you don’t, I think I’m not the only one who has struggled to maintain my focus while working from home or working in high-stress situations that the last year has created.

It isn’t because I have my social media accounts open all day (I rarely do). It isn’t because I’m distracted by other people or things (although that happens). It seems I have a brain that is running on overdrive all the time, and I tend to jump from task to task without completing any of them! I have numerous tabs open on my computer and many tasks half completed!

I know that I shouldn’t be jumping from one task to another. I know that I can buckle down and do one thing without stopping to do another. Yet, I struggle to do that consistently, and I know it is affecting my productivity. I struggle with my focus.

Is it the stress of the pandemic? Is it the speed we are working? Is it all about discipline? Why can’t I maintain focus?

Instead of just complaining about it, I decided to really focus on my focus!

Here are some tips to help increase your focus if you are struggling the same way:

– Ask yourself periodically, “Is this the best of use my time right now?” If the answer is no, then move on to something that makes better use of your time. Note: if you are sitting in a meeting, it is probably not a good time to ask yourself that question. It would be best to ask yourself that question when you realize you are not focused, when you are jumping from task to task but not getting anything done.

– Apply a “Five-Minute Rule” when focus is difficult (due to busy workspaces, interruptions, etc.). Close your incoming email for just five minutes. Turn off the radio for just five minutes. Put your cell phone in a drawer, with the ringer off, for just five minutes. Close all the tabs you have open on your computer. Allow yourself to have total focus on something for just five minutes before you jump to something else. It doesn’t sound like much time, so you can ask yourself if you can do another five minutes at the end of the five minutes. If you can do another five minutes and it isn’t eating you up inside, give yourself a high-five as you re-train yourself to focus!

– Determine your prime focus times each day and plan around them. In the morning, I’m a little less focused because I’m trying to get a handle on all the things I have to do that day, so that would be a bad time for me to choose to work on a task that requires intense focus. Once I have a handle on everything, then I can afford to focus on a task intensely. In the afternoon, when I need a pick-me-up (in the form of a bit of chocolate or some caffeine), that is also not a prime focus time for me. We all work differently, but you likely know when focus will not happen for you, so don’t plan it for that time. That doesn’t mean you aren’t getting work done; it means you aren’t working on the top focus tasks at that time.

Put those focus times in your schedule, and stick to them—this will require some discipline. Once you’ve planned your focus times, stick with your plan as much as possible.

– Stop being a victim of your situation. Stop looking for reasons you can’t focus and just do it!

Lastly, think about this: Do you do other things in your life that require focus? Can you stay focused through a gym or yoga class? Can you stay focused while driving? Can you watch a television show without multi-tasking (not always, but is it possible)? The reality is that you can focus—you’re just allowing yourself to come up with reasons why you can’t at work.

Stop blaming the kids, the online meetings, the hundreds of emails you get each day. Instead, start holding yourself accountable for how you handle all the stress you are currently experiencing.

Remind yourself to focus on your focus!

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