“The biggest challenge is to stay focused. It’s to have the discipline when there are so many competing things,” – Alexa Hirschfeld
Staying focused and getting things done are the two most important things for successful people to keep in mind. It shows a lot of useful advantages. Examples include less lethargic tendencies, enhanced efficacy, lucidity, and inventiveness. Finally, it would be great if you could boost your ability to reach your ambitious objectives.
With so many benefits, why is it not an easy habit to adopt?
Put simply: sloth. Delving a bit further, it is due to a desire for expediency. An overwhelming majority of us are adept at juggling multiple tasks at once. Multitasking often causes errors, creativity issues, and productivity loss. Chronic multitasking has a negative impact on the brain’s physical structure, according to research.
So why do we all try to multitask?
Time saving is the sole theoretical advantage of multitasking. Why cut so many corners just to save time? That’s my basic question. Put in a little extra effort, and you’ll reap the benefits in terms of output, quality, and satisfaction.
It will require us to concentrate, Let us look at why it is difficult to focus.
In my opinion, there are two factors at play here. One issue is the unprecedented volume of data processing that our brains are ill-equipped to handle. In the Sunday edition of The Hindu, I read something. It goes beyond what a typical Madras advocate from the 18th century would have learned in a lifetime. (I am still perplexed as to where I read this…)
Second, there are a plethora of modern technological advancements that serve to divert our attention. Our behaviour as humans has not yet been recognized. The real cost of digital distraction is still a mystery to researchers.
Attention has been scarce ever since apes descended to Earth. A quantifiable amount of glucose and other metabolic resources are utilised each time we concentrate on anything. Tasks requiring high levels of concentration, such as decision making or self-control, make extensive use of it.
The world is full of distractions. My next move?
Stephen Covey once said, “The secret to success is not making schedule a priority, but rather making a priority schedule.”
1. BLOCK TIME
What doesn’t get scheduled will not be done, in my opinion. This kind of thinking originated from my time spent working with Bosch in Germany. Everyone needs to be aware of the Germans’ planning style. When they’re done planning and setting priorities, 80% of the work is clear and done. Whenever I add an item to my To-Do list, I usually manage to cross it off. It may be late sometimes, but it’s always on my radar.
Still, I’ve seen that a lot of folks have a to-do list and yet manage to get sidetracked. This is due to the fact that they have a tendency to take on any and all obligations that come their way. Not every task needs to be on that list. We are solely required to input those that are:
- The day’s top concerns
- Scheduled activities on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis…
- Allotted time for development of routine
2. Allocate Area for Rest Periods
Any activity that requires undivided attention drains the body’s energy reserves, as I indicated earlier. Just like exerting ourselves physically wears us out, concentrating intently wears us out mentally. Rest and recuperation are crucial.
Include short breaks. Problematically, as we saw before, it takes time to get back on track following an interruption. In my experience, the following times tend to be most productive:
Every two minutes, when I’m staring at the screen for an extended period of time, I need to shift my gaze to a faraway object. The strain on the eyes can be alleviated in this way.
Every 27 minutes, I will take a 3-minute break from my task.
Make sure no work exceeds fifty minutes. We must have a ten-minute break if it continues. (Extracted from John Medina’s book Brain Rules.)
Never, ever, ever check your phone or email during these three-to-ten-minute pauses; doing so will just serve to distract you. The key is to keep your mind calm. Their purpose is to alleviate my mental stress, not to divert it.
3. MAKE SMALL STEPS
While it’s easy to say to make time for the things that matter most, it’s much more difficult to put such advice into practice. This is due to the fact that diversions have become habitual over time. Some of these behaviours include checking email often and paying attention to our phones whenever they make a noise. When beginning to prepare a report, one typical thing happens. Within 5 minutes, we are completely lost on Google. Why? You wanted to be sure something was true or find some corroborating evidence.
I made the same error of setting ambitious goals and only achieving 25% before surrendering. I eventually realised that little goals help attain big goals. Those that extend over the span of time. I think it would be a good idea to begin by adding some easy things to our schedule and then work our way up to the more important things.
Treat yourself kindly if you catch yourself daydreaming or otherwise preoccupied. It won’t be long until you resume your previously stated goals. With practice, you’ll learn to focus less on irrelevant thoughts and more on making progress towards your objective.
Your time is not manageable; what you can do is prioritise what is most important to you. – Unnamed
4. Communication: Telephone, Email, In-Person Meetings
You can get totally sidetracked for the entire day with just one discussion. A minor discussion on an IPL match or a movie could take flight and float away unnoticed. Being mindful of your social time is all I’m trying to say; I’m not saying you shouldn’t be social at all. Communication with my mentees is essential in my role as a team mentor. Without awareness, I would waste almost half of my day on meaningless chatter and neglect my priorities and productivity.
Taking things slowly is one of the best ways to deal with interruptions in communication. To my surprise, this has been really effective. I prefer to converse in person rather than hastily responding to emails or returning phone calls. The inbox is rife with ping-pong messages, and phone calls have a tendency to go on for far too long and get twisted. Your best bet is to have a direct, one-on-one chat in person. Completes tasks, allowing me to make better use of my free time.
On the flip side, if you’re the type of person who finds it impossible to stop talking, you might want to try going in the opposite direction. Try resolving the issue by correspondence before resorting to verbal communication. Finally, take up the phone and have an honest chat. Discover your own unique solution. Everyone has to realise that communication is a major derailment and source of unnecessary stress.
Now is the time to set your sights on your goal and go forward; Are you prepared? In such case, I am prepared to lend a hand. Contact me ASAP.