Creating Focus

The phrase “creating focus” sounds like an oxymoron. How can we create focus? it’s something we either have or don’t have. Some are blessed with more focus than others. Or are they? Focus is something we can create and harness. We can learn to build moments in our day designed for optimal focus and train ourselves to slip into this mode in seconds.

In order to create focus, we must first understand what causes us to lose focus. When you are working on a project, trying to meet a deadline, what are the things that cause you to slip out of the zone, to pause, and lose five minutes trying to get your flow back? More than likely coworkers, emails, and notifications are the top three interruptions. If you work from home, pets, chores, children, significant others, and neighbors can be your top interruptions. There may be others, such as forgetting to eat, dehydration, or restlessness. A lack of passion or investment in your work can also cause you to lose focus.

Once you know what causes you to lose focus, you need to identify the way you feel when a project is accomplished on time and well. What emotions does success evoke in you? At the end of a productive day, how do you feel? What are your favorite things to do when you have accomplished a hard task? How do you celebrate? Knowing how you will feel and planning celebrations for reaching milestones, completing a list, or meeting a deadline will help you create focus. As all animals, we will perform any trick for a reward, why not tap into this natural desire?

Listing all your distractions and feelings of accomplishment, listing, and planning rewards are the first steps to creating focus. The next steps are the hardest. Ask yourself how you can overcome each distraction. Can you turn off notifications? Close your email tab? Place your phone on do not disturb? Can you schedule two to three hours of work time a day and train your co-workers, office mates, and family to not interrupt you during this time? Creating a plan to limit distractions leads to the next step, creating work routines.

When possible, group all similar tasks together. Changing your focus from one topic to another exhausts your brain, creating disruptions. Plan specific times to review and answer emails. As much as possible, pick two days a week for meetings, or create a routine for meetings, ensuring they are grouped together, allowing you two to three hours of work time a day. Schedule breaks, no one can work all day, we all need moments to relax and unwind. When you schedule work time, honor yourself and block that time on your calendar. Plan your work time, group similar tasks together, get the small things done quickly, saving the majority of the time for the larger tasks. Before you start your work time, plan what your reward or celebration will be. Visualize it, and at the end of your work time, reward yourself. When you hit moments of frustration or need a two-minute break, resist the urge to grab your phone, check emails, or jump on social media. Stretch, walk around your office, drink some water. Take the two minutes to clear your head, you will be so much more productive. If you end your tasks early, ask yourself what tasks or projects you could do today to make tomorrow better. If there really aren’t any tasks, end early, reward yourself and enjoy some “you” time.

It is possible to learn to harness focus and create routines where we are able to become instantly focused. Learning what we need to be at peace with focus, to work with focus, will greatly impact our success and lower our stress levels. Take the steps needed to learn more about yourself and create the ideal environment for focus.

Sincerely,

Sara O.