Episode 65: Focus

Hello my friends, Welcome to episode 65.

How many things do you have on your to-do list?

How many things do you try to do at the same time?

Have you ever been on the phone, typing an email, and had your mind wandering all at the same time?

As humans, we think we are great multi-taskers.

We try to do more than one thing at a time.

And we have minds that wander.

Without a little bit of practice, it is hard to keep focused on one thing at a time.

We are surrounded by constant distractions so what can we do?

First, plan your tasks.

I think this is one of the most powerful things for getting things done and for doing them well.

When I first suggest this to any client they usually resist.

How would I have time to plan when I have too many things to do in the first place?

How could I get everything done doing things one at a time when I can’t get them all done doing 5 things at the same time?

Here is a way.

Planning – this lets you focus attention on one thing.

It lets you filter out the non-essential tasks. And trust me there are things you are doing or ways you are doing things that are likely non-essential. Even if you think they are essential.

I have found that as I do one task at a time – I usually make fewer mistakes which saves time in having to correct them.

I complete tasks so I don’t have a bunch of half-finished tasks.

And with focus, I often get them done faster because I am not constantly switching and then repeating things when I come back to them.

Focus is a tremendous tool that we underutilize.

We think being busy or doing everything is somehow making us better employees.

But what I have found is usually it is not.

When we can focus on one thing at a time, things are often not as tough as we first thought they were. We can work through problems and have time to figure things out when they don’t work the first time.

Another great benefit of planning is the reduction of distractions.

When we plan for tasks we can reduce the distractions that are in our environment.

We might turn off our cell phones or silence them for an hour.

We might turn off our email notifications or plan when we check our emails.

We are surrounded by distractions and an expectation of instant response. So this may take some getting used to and a bit of practice.

But creating even a few hours a day where you have no distractions and you have a clear plan of what you will create in that time can have a powerful impact on the things you accomplish.

We are so much more capable than we think we are when we utilize the power of focus.

We can accomplish more, in a calm manner, and we can see things to completion.

Now the second tool for focus is to train your brain.

Brains like to wander.

And one of the powerful things that mediation teaches is how to bring your brain back to the present moment.

And the present moment has far fewer made-up problems than the future has.

And the present moment has far fewer mistakes than the past has.

So simply training our brains to spend more time in the present moment makes our lives much simpler.

So start to be aware this week of:

Where you are trying to multitask? And when you notice it – choose a task and focus. Even if it is just for 15 minutes.

Focus on doing one thing and see what you can accomplish.

Next, see where you are being distracted.

Is it something you have control over – phones ringing, text messages, slack, instant messengers, emails, people physically walking in and talking to you?

Now there may be things you don’t have control over but I am betting there are a few things you do. We don’t have to make unrealistic changes here. We just need to make small ones.

When can you create a distraction-free environment?

I used to find that there were particular days or particular times when I was much less likely to get requests.

First thing in the morning.

When my boss or certain coworkers were in meetings.

Those were the easiest times to plan my focus time and work through the particular project I needed to get done that day.

And lastly where does your brain like to wander?

Do you head into the future solving problems that are not yet created?

Do you head into the past trying to solve things that have long been over?

Just pay attention to this – and each time bring yourself back to the present.

Quick ways to do this is to consciously breathe.

The moment you are feeling your breath, you are in the present moment.

The other way is to just bring your brain back to the task.

What am I doing right now?

And that’s all I need to do right now.

Focus is a powerful tool.

It will be fun.

Have a wonderful week.