Aiming to Increase Your Power of Focus

You have a new business, or are you about ready to take yours to a new level, what a great time to create a new mindset!  Let’s take a few minutes and reflect on the habits that you have that are costing you – Write them down and be honest to yourself.

I bet that allowing yourself to be distracted is at the top of your list.  What is the real cost of these distractions to you?  What can you do to increase your power of focus?

Distractions are commonplace, and we all have the challenge of focus in today’s world.   In the world of business, you have a multitude of tasks every day that are necessary to manage the day to day operations. Then are also other things in life you need to focus on: household issues, your personal finances, and hopefully those fun plans you make to enjoy your life. 

Added to that is the amount of information we consume every day. Did you know that 37,000 FaceBook posts are published every minute? That’s insane! We’re now living in a world flooded with new information. If we are not careful, we could be at risk of losing our grip of what’s most important!

So, how can business owners stay focused and prevent themselves from losing track of their goals?

1.) Chunk your tasks

You probably have heard the analogy, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer, of course, is “one bite at a time.”  Take your tasks and divide them into smaller, easier to manage projects.  Chunking like tasks together will help you to be more efficient.  Chunking is more productive than multitasking as you can focus on one thing to fruition. Dedicate specific blocks of time to a particular task and don’t allow interruptions.  You will reduce the time spent in start-up moments and accomplish the task at hand more efficiently.  For instance, you can also chunk together all your errands on the same day. This way, you will already be appropriately dressed and can map your route so you can travel smoothly from one to the other.  It is also a great idea to schedule these errands at a low-traffic time when fewer people are on the road.  You will be surprised how much you can accomplish with less effort.  You can also do this similarly with your outgoing phone calls, processing emails, and your client appointment scheduling. 

Use chunking to become more focused and productive. You will fight overwhelm and have a sense of accomplishment as you get each chunk completed.  And before you know it – your project is done!

2.) Start with your nastiest to-do

When you have distaste for the task at hand, it is easier to allow yourself to become distracted.  By getting it out of the way first, when you are the most rested, the rest of the day is much smoother sailing.

3). Work in spurts

This simple strategy is known as the Pomodoro method. Many of us think it’s a good idea to focus on something for an extensive amount of time. This is exhaustive and it does not guarantee optimum focus.

On the other hand, the Pomodoro method lets you work on your tasks at 15-minute uninterrupted intervals with 5-minute rests in between. The mind can only take so much information, thus giving it rest for a brief period before resuming work helps you get things done.

4.)  Manage social media

 About those kazillion Facebook posts, email and social media are the most significant causes of distraction for us every day.  We get on the medium to serve a specific purpose, and then the next thing we know, we are captured by something totally unrelated or checking out who knows what. Every incoming email and IM becomes an interruption that now rules your time. Next thing you know, hours have passed, and you have accomplished zero!

Technology is incredible, but we need to manage it.  A good rule of thumb is to make a standing appointment in your schedule for your usage. If you check your email once in the morning and once in the afternoon, you will free up a lot of time. You can seize the opportunity by setting the alarm, so you will realize your allotted time has elapsed. If you get deadline-sensitive emails in the morning, you may want to schedule your morning email reading accordingly.  Maybe have a quick five-minute scan of the incoming email so that you are informed and then respond at the designated email time unless it is absolutely urgent.  Most things are not critical, yet we make them a priority by letting them absorb our day.  You must control your online interaction; otherwise, your life is given over to the electronic media instead of you controlling it.

5.)  Eat healthy

Our eating habits can have a direct impact on brain activity. That’s because foods such as nuts, broccoli, and meats are rich in iron and Omega-3 acids are known to boost memory and optimize cognitive functions.

If you want to enhance your focus, you might do well to swap your usual afternoon munchies with healthier alternatives. 

6.) Get enough sleep

While this is a typical piece of advice you get from your physician, has enough credence when it comes right down to enhancing your focus. Sleep helps you rest your batteries and gives your brain ample time to revitalize neurons. 

Consider getting enough sleep. Aim for 6 hours or more. Getting less than 4 hours, however, it affects your ability to stay focused. If you are experiencing this and other types of sleep interruptions, you might want to contact a professional who specializes in sleep disorders.

7.) Exercise and more exercise!

Believe it or not, but a healthy workout routine can help you focus. That’s because regular exercise is known to boost stamina, which your brain can benefit from.

You don’t have to exert yourself though. An early morning jog around the neighborhood would be enough to make the brain active for the rest of the day!

As a business owner, you want to focus more on things that allow the company to grow. So, never lose track of your long-term goals. Keep your head in the game and focus on the things you need to get done.

Isn’t it time to increase your power of focus, so you can hit your target for business success?