Taking back your focus is very important for the goals you have set for yourself. Use your time and energy for the things that you want. It is easier to focus on something you find pleasurable than something you really don’t want to do. So find as many things as you want to do and go after them. This is Part 2 of focus.
Don’t wander around aimlessly trying to find false stimulation. It is short-lived and keeps you rewarding yourself for finding other unnecessary distractions that take you away from the big picture. Boredom is a big reason why people take to the stimulations that don’t end up being fulfilling. Why are you bored? Get back to your goals. If you have none, create some big ones.
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” -Steve Jobs
Finding clarity
For me helping others is my passion, it’s where my heart is. As you may recall, I started Ridiculously Enjoy Life because I was always physically helping others, and but I discovered I could never say no. I would say yes to many things that would take away from the time that I needed to do things for myself.
I became enabled by it and somehow only felt good when I was needed by others. For so many of us, we find that people would exploit that feature within us and then discard us when not needed. I wasn’t a fan of that once I discovered it for myself. The online realm helped me channel my helping energy in a way that I could divide my time for myself as well and be happy and fulfilled.
I do my best to answer all the communication in a timely manner by selecting when I do it. After all, if I am bound to being online 24/7 then you could see how I would get right back into the same rut I was in for so long before. I would no longer be helping my self or my readers by going against why I started it in the first place.
15 Great Tips to help you focus
(in no magical order)
1- Do things you enjoy. Like seriously or why even bother.
2- Mindfulness and Meditation:
Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions, and behaviors. It’s a way of how you live your life. You would practice this ongoing throughout your day. Doing the best you can.
Meditation is the process of not being aware of anything and being completely in the present moment. This helps with clarity, calmness, and focus. You would use this for a specific time frame each day.
3- Not-To-Do List: This will help you stay away from unnecessary stuff.
4- Minimize stress. I can’t express the importance of this enough.
5- Minimize social media: Stop browsing, scrolling, and swiping. Unless it’s for productive purposes of the task you are intending to focus on. Otherwise, it is a waste of time and it will further distract you.
This is a good time to put your devices in a separate room to minimize temptations. Yes, I know you can’t wait to see what bs such and such has just posted on Instagram but focus Danielson!
6- Start and stop times of what you need to focus on.
7- Pomodoro Technique: A time management technique method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.
8- Headspace App: An app that can help you focus, breathe, stay calm, and help with a better night’s sleep. I used this app for a long time and it worked great. I no longer use it because I am pretty selective about monies and this one you pay for. There are some free items there which you could use of course. You can also find other apps that may help you.
(Caution about the devices creating distractions. Use only as a tool and you can turn off notifications for certain time periods while you work.)
9- White Noise. It works for many of us and I am actually using it as we speak! Do change things up a bit from time to time.
10- Specific work space separate from relax space.
11- During the day energy fades so it’s important to prioritize accordingly.
12- Fresh air breaks are great. Go outside!
13- Know what your distractions are so you are able to prevent and minimize.
14- Make fewer decisions. Remove as many unnecessary decisions as possible throughout your day. This will help your focus by minimizing distractions.
15- Don’t have too many projects going at any given time. You truly can’t give 100% to all of it so minimize fragmenting your work.
Conclusion
Creating a plan of action for the times when you are distracted will go a long way for you to achieve anything you want. Find things that work for you and modify along the way. We can get used to things and overtime the effectiveness can fade, so change it up from time to time.
What tip would you make for #16 on this list and why?
