Prioritizing and Staying Focused

Every day, there are dozens of tasks vying for our attention, both at work and in our personal life. With life being so busy, it’s easy to lose focus on the big picture. Someone once said, “We need to keep the main thing the main thing.” In other words, the most important task we have is staying on course and focusing on what is most important.

How many times have you gone to bed wondering if you actually accomplished anything that day? Or have you ever felt like your day was somehow wasted? I’m sure you’ve been there (Here’s a little hint: we’ve all been there!).

To avoid these feelings, you can try a few different methods to get yourself back on track. Rather than regretting your wasted time, resolve to regain your focus and get back on task.

There’s a famous quote about focus by the great philosopher Confucius. He said, “If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.” How true! While there may be some people who are able to multi-task and do it relatively well, most of us cannot. Most of us struggle with splitting our attention between two different tasks and, as a result, have a difficult time completing both tasks well. So, here’s help!

Five ways to regain your focus and get back on task:

1.  Eliminate the distractions. Get rid of any barriers that are causing you to avoid getting things done – it’s that simple! Forget about checking your e-mail every five minutes; those e-mails will still be there when you complete your task. Make a list of distractions and eliminate them! For example,

• Turn off the phone and let the voice-mail get it.
• Close the blinds in your office.
• Turn off the music if you find yourself singing more than working.
• Simply closing the door to your office can give you more privacy and more focus.

2.  Prioritize your work. Rather than working on projects simultaneously, take one thing at a time, focus on it, and worry about all the other projects later. Ultimately, you’ll get a lot more done and you’ll finish it more quickly. You’ll also be recognized by the high quality that you deliver when you’re free from distractions.

• Find a way to prioritize what works best for you. Choose either the project that has the earliest deadline or the one with the least components so you can finish it quickly and get it out of the way. There are pros and cons to both systems, so tackle it whichever way works best for you.

3.  Tell others to respect your time. There are many nice and respectful ways to tell people to back off. If you’re finding yourself in a time crunch and can’t seem to get away from others, consider letting them know that you need time to finish some important tasks. There are a lot of different ways to do it—just make sure you do! Again, turning off your phone will eliminate a lot of distraction. And never fear; when your project is complete and you turn your phone back on, those people will still be there. Here are a couple of additional steps you can take:

• Set times that you’ll accept phone calls and even visitors. Tell them to contact you by e-mail and then set a regular time to check your e-mail.
• Set business hours during which people can expect you to return their calls or e-mails.

4.  Set some limitations with your Internet access. The Internet is a great thing, but it can be a huge time waster, especially if you work at a computer all day long. Regain your focus with some self-imposed rules:

• First, close all those windows you’re not using. Avoid MySpace or Facebook. Quit searching on eBay, and leave messenger alone!
• Establish certain times each day to use these things and just focus on what you have to do. You’ll quickly accomplish more!

5.  Have confidence in your abilities. This may seem like a really small thing when it comes to focusing and getting back on task, but believing that you can get everything done that you set out to do puts you in a positive frame of mind and you’ll be less distracted with stress and worry.

• Have confidence that you can complete each task with ease and believe in your ability to deliver. If you’ll just have the confidence, you’re sure to have the focus!

Now that you’ve been introduced to five ways to focus and get back on task, it’s up to you to take action and learn how to focus your thoughts. If you have tasks to accomplish and goals to achieve, follow these steps so you can put yourself—and your goals first! If you need someone to help you on your journey, contact INSPiRE Coachingtoday!