3 Strategies for Developing Focus

Focus is rays of light converging through a lens. Focusing our minds on a task is analogous. The rays of light for a task consist of the time, space and information required to accomplish it. Our mind is the lens. If that lens distorts, our efforts become fuzzy.

To sharpen our work focus, we must take action:

• Reduce distractions
• Fixate on progress, not perfection
• Practice persistence

Reducing Distractions

Put Your Hands in the Air and Step Away from the Computer

The one tool we depend upon for productivity keeps us from it: the computer. Mere mouse clicks away live the sirens of the news, stock market, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Email, instant messaging, meeting reminders and software updates plead for attention minute by minute.

Recall this saying: “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Too often, we view our computer as the only tool at our disposal. Work on breaking that dependence:

• If a network connection is not required for a particular task, disconnect. Pull out the plug or otherwise disable the connection.
• Move whatever you can offline. Bring pen and paper to meetings and leave the laptop behind.
• Remove non-work bookmarks from your browser. Typing the URLs for your favorite sites will reduce how often you visit.

Create a Personal Cone of Silence

Work environments are huge distractors, but do your best to counter that:

• Replace noise with silence or music with earplugs or headphones.
• Use a “Do Not Disturb” sign that displays your availability. Enforce that even for the colleague who “just needs a minute.”

Fixate on Progress

Break It Down

Sometimes we procrastinate because a simple task feels like an undertaking. Our thoughts emphasize the polished end product instead of the first steps. Other times, we block when we are missing necessary information to finish the job. Keep in mind that progress is just as important, perhaps more so, than perfection:

• Dismantle your task into sub-tasks. Sub-tasks that take only five minutes are not too short. Breaking it down into small steps makes a task easier to start. Once started, focus on what remains instead of what you already finished. Research demonstrates that this technique increases motivation.
• Rest before you get tired. Frequent breaks actually make you more productive than trying to tackle a task without stopping. Once you drain the energy well, it becomes difficult to replenish it.

Practice Persistence

Developing and maintaining focus requires effort, period. It is a mix of willpower, self-discipline and centering on your goals. If you remove distractions and seek progress before perfection and still you cannot focus, try working on persistence:

• Place a limit on focus time with a timer. Put it out of sight, but within earshot. Try 30 minutes at first. If that works, add 15 minutes. If not, shorten the time.
• For multiday tasks, work on them every day without fail a little at a time.
• Put your subconscious mind to work. Before leaving work, review the last problem left unsolved. Then forget about it and enjoy the evening. Very often, you will awake the next morning with a solution or a new perspective on the issue. You managed to maintain persistence without really trying.

Focus Is Nurture Not Nature

Focusing on tasks is a skill you learn. It grows stronger with practice and awareness. Simply “knuckling down” on a job with an unpolished mental lens is counterproductive. Take time to reduce distractions, make tasks bite-size and discover which techniques work and which do not for you. Ultimately, you will accomplish more in less time.

Bernhard S