Focusing when you can’t focus
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Do you find it hard to maintain focus? If you find your mind wanders and you lose concentration this lack of focus can lead to procrastination. And if you’re constantly putting off things that need to be done, it can ultimately be harmful to your reputation.
As you might expect this can be quite a lengthy subject to delve into, so instead I’m going to concentrate (see what we did there?) on a few ideas that will help to keep you focused when you don’t feel like it (if you want to know more I’d highly recommend The Procrastinator’s Handbook by Rita Emmett).
…did you find yourself choosing to watch funny cats?
Putting off tasks because of a lack of focus often results in things being delivered late. This is VERY dangerous for your reputation and career, so take every step you can to avoid it.
As you might expect this can be quite a lengthy subject to delve into, so instead I’m going to concentrate (see what we did there?) on a few ideas that will help to keep you focused when you don’t feel like it (if you want to know more I’d highly recommend The Procrastinator’s Handbook by Rita Emmett).
- Think about the kind of work where you experience this
Is there a particular type of work where you’re more likely to be focused, and others where you lack energy? For example, you may prefer work that allows you lots of variety and you can tackle lots of activities in short bursts, whereas facing the job of spending half a day on something complex will have you watching funny cat videos within five minutes. Or maybe it’s that you can focus once something’s started, but getting going is a challenge. In either case, try mind-mapping the structure of what you’ve got to write or do. This can be a 10-minute job – if necessary just plan out the first step and ignore the fact that there are later stages – and suddenly, instead of writing a book you’re tackling the first 3 pages. Much easier to get started! - Think about why you aren’t focused
Sometimes you’ll find it’s because the work that you’re doing is boring – you’re not interested in it, but you have to do it anyway. But more often it’s because you’re not really clear about what you’re doing or what you’re trying to achieve. Next time you’re putting something off, identify whether ambiguity is the problem. You may need to go back to the person that gave you the task to get the clarity you need. If things are still ambiguous, ask yourself whether you can take positive advantage of the lack of clarity – and pull together a proposal for your own vision of what needs to be done! - Work with other people
I know from personal experience that if I have to do work by myself I really have to work very, very hard to keep on top of my focus. But if I can collaborate with others I’m more likely to get it done quickly and I’ll often get other perspectives or discover things that I’ve missed. Who would be a great thinking partner, and can you grab them for a coffee and bounce ideas off them? - Take steps to stop interruptions
We’ve already established that funny cat videos on YouTube are a problem, so consider turning off the WiFi and your phone for an hour or two. You can ask someone else to pick up messages for you, or forward your landline to your mobile before switching the latter off! If it helps, there are even apps available that can disable the internet on your computer for a length of time you choose to help you focus… - Control your email
Email is a great distraction, because it really feels like you are doing your job. But it’s doubtful whether spending a lot of time on email is a reputation builder! Try turning off alerts and setting aside specific times to open your email. Are you more productive on days when you don’t open email until late morning – but instead take the first few hours of the day to invest in important work. Or do you need a short burst of email to warm up – but when you get motoring you need to switch to a chunk of important work and complete this before lunch? - Use daily reminders
Sometimes our brains exclude actions that it doesn’t want us to focus on. This can show itself by ‘forgetting’ to write down the stuff we don’t want to do. You can avoid that by firstly having a habit of writing everything down in the same place – e.g. a hardback ‘project book’ you always have with you. Then you need a list of work that has to be accomplished on that day. If there’s scope for items on your list to carry over, then they probably won’t get done. - The one-hour strategy
One of the best tips from The Procrastinators Handbook is not that you sit down for hour upon hour and try to be focused, but instead that you buy a timer that you can set for an hour – and commit to yourself that you’re going to spend one uninterrupted hour on a piece of work. After that hour, one of two things happens – either you’ve made an hour of solid work on something you were refusing to focus on, or often you realise that that piece of work is nearly complete and you’ll find yourself motivated to give the extra time to get it completed and off your desk!
…did you find yourself choosing to watch funny cats?
Putting off tasks because of a lack of focus often results in things being delivered late. This is VERY dangerous for your reputation and career, so take every step you can to avoid it.