Beep, beep, buzz, buzz, ring, ring…

Distractions.

And more distractions.

They’re constant—a steady flow of distractions. They never go away and sometimes they just get louder and more intense.

These things are all a part of life, and happen all the time. They are everywhere and we allow them to interrupt our focus and demand our attention.

Phone calls, texts, personal emails, work emails, the constant barrage of social media. It’s never ending.

You don’t have to live life distracted.

You can learn to be better at focus. Over the past several years I’ve improved in this area a lot, and have trained myself to live a more focused, less distracted life. Of course, I’m still a work-in-progress, but I’m much better than I used to be.

By making a few small changes, you can train yourself to live with better focus and more intention. You’ll be amazed at how much more enjoyment you’ll experience when you’re not constantly being pulled from one task to the next, in a multitasking mess.

Here are my top 8 suggestions for training yourself to improve your focus:

Write down your goals daily. These don’t have to be long. Shorter, more specific goals are best. Write then down each morning. For several years I wrote down my goals, every morning, on a 3×5 inch index card. Starting with a blank card each morning was a symbol to me that each and every day is a blank canvas. The blank canvas of each day represented my personal assignment to completely finish my work for the day. This is not something that I can delegate. It is not something that I should quit on. Each day I get to start again, fresh, with a blank slate. That analogy gives me energy to focus on the things that are most important. For the past couple of years, after being made fun of by some of my techie friends, I’ve been using the notepad on my iPhone to write down my daily goals. This also works!

Write down tomorrow’s to-do list tonight. At the end of your work day, before you go home, write down what you will accomplish the very next work day. This will help you clear your head of clutter before you leave your office and also start the next day off with a plan.

Organize your workspace and your life. Get rid of clutter and unnecessary things – especially paperwork. A cluttered desk mirrors a cluttered mind. Maybe you are different, but I really have trouble focusing on my work if there are piles of paperwork all around me. If I can’t have a clean and organized workspace, then I move to a coffee shop or somewhere else where I can.

Don’t multitask. Contrary to what many people think, multitasking is not productive. In fact, research has proven that there is no such thing as multitasking. When you think you are, you’re really just making your brain quickly switch from one task to another. This is exhausting, and does not result in improved focus or productivity.

Allow time for work and for play, but don’t make a habit of letting them overlap. When you’re working, work. When you’re playing, play. This really works, and will make you far more productive. Your relationships will also flourish because you won’t allow work to take away time with the key people in your life.

Listen to Baroque music played at largo tempo. This may sound crazy, but it allows your brain to reach a state of relaxed alertness. This instrumental music is not distracting and has 60 beat per minute, which boosts concentration.

Take a break every 90 minutes. Your body needs rest and rejuvenation. Studies show that a short break every 90 minute will allow enough of a recharge to maintain high levels of performance throughout the day. Go for a quick walk outside and breathe in some fresh air.

Create blocks of time in your work day to work on specific tasks. Don’t check email, Facebook, other social media, and don’t multitask. These blocks of time are when you can get the important and not-urgent tasks done. When I first read Steven Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” I took seriously his suggestions made in “Habit 3 – Put First Things First.” Dr. Covey explains the importance of prioritizing the important and not-urgent activities. You should read (or re-read) this great book and apply this principle.

Living a life of intentional focus takes practice and commitment, but it’s worth it. When we live focused lives we’re free to experience the beauty in every day. We manage our time better and we get more done, but the real key is that we feel better as a result of being focused. Feeling better, finding joy in our days and living with a commitment to putting important things first gives us the foundation to thrive.

Here’s to the very best in each of your days!

Cheers,

Coach Brett Blair

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