When you aspire to accomplish a goal, you certainly want to steer clear of all potential distractions that will eat up your time that could otherwise be used substantially. If you are reading this text, you are probably an inquisitive individual keen to explore ways to make your work more efficient as proactively as possible by improving your sense of time management through attention and focus skills. Focusing refers to paying particular attention to something or someone. It is the act that allows you to persist with your work despite shortcomings which is why many people claim that “focusing is an art and not a science.” So, how to stay focused?
To focus, you need to have a clear idea about your vision. Why are you doing what you are doing? What is the benefit of putting your energy and resources towards focusing on something? How is it to be done, and how much time is required to do it efficiently? All of these are just a few examples of the type of questions you should have the answers to before deciding to focus on something with all that you’ve got. There are many universally agreed-upon and recognized ways to master the art of focusing. In this blog, we will be disseminating some of them. We will also discuss the various steps involved in the art of focusing and how to stay focused.
Focus can be perceived as a mental muscle. It can be strengthened more the more often it is used. Thus, to improve focus, one of the most important things is consistency. When you’re consistent about your work and daily short-term goals, it becomes significantly more straightforward for you to be reminded about your motivation for that work and thus acts as an unwarranted motivational factor.
How to stay focused?
The various steps to how to stay focused are as follows:
Curb Multitasking!
Multitasking is an evil thing when you want to put your focus on one particular thing. Rather than setting ten different types of goals and tasks to be accomplished for yourself, set one at a time and achieve it to perfection. As soon as you’re done with it, jot down the next task to be done and continue working with the same amount of effort and hard work, if not more. This will ensure better and improved time management and give you unexpected results as to your productivity.
Make active assessments of your own focus
One of the first things to know before taking any steps to improve your focus levels is if your focus is good and only needs professional polishing to make you a better, more efficient professional or whether it is terrible and you daydream frequently and are unable to tune out the distractions in the workplace. Knowing the type of focus that you have will save you a lot of time by quickly helping you determine where you can improve and your strongest suits. Having such information beforehand can also be helpful in determining which factors to put your energy in and which not to.
Reduce distractions as much as possible
Even though it may sound obvious, reducing distractions doesn’t always mean turning off the TV or shutting down the laptop. Distractions can come in many forms. From a chatty colleague to a loud family member, you may need to bring your interpersonal skills to use while reducing distractions for yourself. Requesting to be left alone because you have some critical work to focus on or seek a calm, quiet and solitary place to work at can be two suggestable solutions.
Be fully aware of your body’s energy to be devoted
Focusing on an important task can indeed become a strenuous thing. What is often ignored is the fact that in the race to become more efficient and proactive, people forget their body’s capabilities and end up having burnout quite frequently. As we say, “excess of everything is bad.”
This is useful to no one as over-stressing and burdening yourself with work can only lead your hard work into vain. Take regular breaks and stay hydrated. Hydration is critical when it comes to working towards achieving something with all your attention.
Make a daily journal, Note down tasks
Although cliché, this is a correct suggestion. Making daily journals helps you in terms of quantifying your goals. You get an idea of how to go about your day and feel less lost. This also ensures that there’s absolutely minimal, if not zero, procrastination, and at the end of the day when you check everything off your to-do list, you get an incomparable sense of accomplishment. Noting down tasks can help you break them down into manageable and doable components with ample time to assess the best possible action plans.
Learn how to turn down people
If focusing on something that big of a priority for you at the moment, learn how to tell somebody no when they ask you out for a bite to eat or drinks at the pub. You don’t need to give up on your social life completely, but at least try to avoid going out for something or the other every other day. You can have a social life but try restricting that to the weekends.
Leisure activities like lunch dates and shopping in their free time are some of the ways humans like to pass their free time. Instead of doing this, if you feel like you’d rather spend time at home learning and working, do that! Tell your friends no for that drink and your family that you have to work. Learn to say no, and all the yesses come your way.
Now that you have some idea as to how to stay focused, you may as well give this a try. As you have read this, intending to become better at focusing and the multiple factors surrounding it, hopefully, you do get better and only improve as a professional.