How to Get Laser Focused

There are more distractions in our world than there has ever been in human history. To make matters worse, many of the distractions we face have been specifically engineered by advertising gurus to get us and keep us distracted. We have shifted our focus so much that many of us have become addicted to distractions. Without focus, our ability to do great work significantly suffers. What if there was a cure? What if you could have laser focus from now ‘til the end of the year?  What would happen? 

Crush distractions in your life and get things done by:

1. Sleeping. Being well-rested is paramount to our success. On average, sleeping at least 7 hours a night will put us in a position to feel energized.  By being well-rested it will increase our mental stamina to focus.  
2. Avoid distractions like the plague. Put an end to ridiculous distractions. It amazes me how much of a distraction our phones have become. It’s a blessing and a curse. There are some apps that help us run our lives more efficiently, but at the same time, our phones could lead to endless distractions.  For those of you who have iPhones, check out the “screen time” section of your phone to see how many times you pick the device up. You might just be amazed.    
3. Focusing on “single-tasks” vs. “multitasking” Since it’s not easy for your mind to switch back-and-forth between different tasks, focus on one action item at a time. It’s easy to get frantic when you see a crazy, long to-do list, but make sure you take the list one task at a time.
4. Get excited about being bored. For the high achiever, getting things done can feel liberating. Even if you’re living out your passion, there are still multiple tasks that you have to do that are just plain boring. Sometimes tackling projects can be boring, but you’re still getting stuff done. Get excited that by going through the boredom and completing the task, you will feel fulfilled. Don’t allow boredom (while you’re working) to lead to distractions. When you feel the urge to allow yourself to be distracted, force yourself to work at least 15mins longer.   
5. Schedule distractions. As crazy as it may sound, by planning time to allow ourselves to be distracted, it will give us more focus during our peak work times. For instance, I give myself specific times throughout the day to see what friends and family are up to on social media platforms and to see what’s trending on my favorite news sites. By continuing to tell myself that I can be distracted later, it forces me to be productive during most of my day.  

Our daily lives can be an endless series of distractions.  If you allow this to happen, it will completely derail what you want to accomplish in life. If we added up all of our distractions over the course of a year, how long would that be collectively?  We would probably be astounded to actually see that number. The fact is that the most successful people around us are those that are able to completely limit distractions and focus. It takes grit to zone in on our passions in a world full of distractions, but if we stay focused, we’ll eventually get closer to accomplishing what we desire most.