Distractions.

More distractions.

A steady flow of distractions.

These things are part of life, and happen all the time.

They are everywhere, and they never really go away.

Phone calls, text messages, social media, voicemails, and changing deadlines at work, we are living in an era of constant distraction.

You do, however, have a choice.

A choice that can make ALL the difference in your life.

You can choose where to place your attention.  You can choose to be in charge of your agenda.  It’s no one else’s fault if you are distracted, only yours.

I choose to live in a state of what I like to call being intentionally focused.

I am happiest when I am productive.

I enjoy getting things done. Not meaningless things, but meaningful things – goals and important projects.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve improved a lot at this, and so can you.

I am far from perfect, but when I focus and work on one meaningful task at a time, I am able to work in the zone.

In the zone, I thrive.

In the zone, I am the happiest.

In the zone, I get the most done with the least amount of effort, because I am working at my most productive level.

Being focused requires a high degree of personal discipline.  Personal discipline leads to personal freedom.

Here are my top 4 suggestions for training yourself to improve your focus:

  1. Put your cell phone on silence and put it out of sight. You can do this. Set a specific time to check for messages, and respond right away only if it is actually an emergency.
  1. Schedule time to work on specific tasks, finish them, and then move on. Compartmentalizing my day gives me freedom to focus on the “important” versus “urgent” things. I don’t work on multiple projects at once and I generally don’t move on until I am finished.
  1. Allow time for work and for play, but don’t do them at the same time. I am blessed because my work is my passion. I love it! However, when I am working, I am working. When I am out for leisure and fun, I am focused on my wife, or others that I am with. This is not easy, but it works.
  1. Make your health a priority. Getting plenty of exercise, eating a healthy diet, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep – there are the prerequisites to being focused when you are at work.  Don’t shortcut your health in order to get more work done – it will backfire on you eventually.

If you’re looking for a great book on the importance of focus in our lives, check out The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Lew Hewitt.  It’s one of my favorites!

Being focused is critical to success in all areas of life.

Live focused and work focused and you will achieve amazing results.

Cheers!

Coach Brett

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