ocussing is hard but unfortunately it’s necessary for you to actually get stuff done. It takes a lot of discipline to focus, particularly if you work in a relaxed environment without a boss watching you. Freedom often goes hand in hand with slacking off which is a huge problem for your work flow whether you work from home or work for a company.
I find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time so I like to do little things to keep me on task. Here are 3 simple ways to improve your focus…
Put distractions out of reach
Here’s a statement that is true for almost everyone: You spend too much time on your phone. That statement certainly applies to me and I’m sure it applies to most of my readers. I am fully aware that I spend too much time on my phone so when I need to knuckle down and get my work done, I put it out of reach so I can’t just grab for it whenever I get bored. It makes an enormous difference and the more you do it, the more your phone behaviour will change. I used to ‘check’ my phone every few minutes and now I can go hours and not even think about it. Swapping phones is another great tip for people with work colleagues – you swap phones with each other at the beginning of the day and then give them back at the end of the day. It will keep your phone out-of-bounds from 9 to 5 and you’ll waste heaps less time.
Use a simple text program
If I need to write an important email, I’ll open up TextEdit and write it in there. That way I don’t get distracted every time I get an email or start messing around sorting my mail into folders. If you’re a blogger there’s a distraction free writing mode on WordPress too that makes all the extras and tool bars disappear so you can write undisturbed.
Turn off your wifi at the wall
This is a very simple trick I learned during a very busy time last year. I was working on a major writing job of about a 100,000 words and I had to really concentrate to reach my target every day. I’d save any information I needed into a word document, switch off the internet at the wall and write for a few hours at a time. If I need a quick fix I turn off on my computer but if I need to seriously knuckle down, I turn my wifi off at the wall. It takes the internet away from every device – my computer, my phone, the TV – which means I have no choice but to get my focus on. Works every time.
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Do you struggle to stay focussed? What things do you do to keep yourself on task?
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