It's human nature to want to take on as much as possible--you may even think you can handle it. But the truth is, there are some tasks that require focus and attention, and if you try to do too many at once, your productivity will suffer. This post will explore how focusing on one thing at a time can lead to greater productivity for your business or life in general.
Most productive people in the world have one common trait, LASER FOCUS!
They know their priorities, or should I say they set their priorities and will not let anything/one distract them from their goal.
They are able to take an idea, break it down into pieces and complete each step with laser-like precision.
We all want to be productive but it can be hard when we have so many distractions around us. At times we do not know where to start from especially when we have many balls to juggle.
In this blog, we are going to look at some tips that can help us increase our productivity and create time for ourselves.
We must be laser-focused in order to achieve greater productivity. We need laser focus when it comes to our goals, business and personal life.
When we have laser-focused on a particular goal or task at hand, the only thing that matters is achieving this goal/task. Nothing can distract us from doing what needs to get done.
If you ever find yourself multi-tasking, tasks suffer or never get completed, your overall productivity affected or stagnant, stick around.
It is not surprising how important a topic Focus is. This is the mother of productivity as well as creating balance in your life.
We all have 24 hours in our day yet some are able to achieve a lot while others struggle to start a task, later on, complete it. It should be remembered that it all starts from within - as within so without!
Focus starts from the inside, you envision the desired outcome, see it done then go for it. This is where the seed is planted and the force within drives us through the outside process.
On the outside, there is a lot of noise we have to navigate through. There are distractions. There is social media scrolling, Netflix binging and WhatsApp messages. These are not necessarily bad things but how we consume them can easily distract us from the envisioned goal.
Apparently, the footballer Maradona used to only focus on the ball and socks from his team. As long as he knew the direction of the goal post to score into, he was good to go. Disclaimer: I don't know if this is true but I like the analogy.
When you are laser-focused, there is no room for procrastination or distractions of any sort; this makes it easier to concentrate on what needs to get done to get to the desired outcome - Goal.
You might find yourself asking how can I be laser-focused? What does laser focus look like? How do I achieve it?
Laser-focus can be achieved by practising mindfulness. Mindfulness is the act of bringing your full attention to what you're experiencing at this moment, intentionally. By pouring one's entire being into a task for a focused period of time but first let's look at how to get there from here.
Chunking Up Tasks:
Chunking is a research-backed productivity technique that breaks down big projects into small, manageable tasks. It's recommended to chunk your work into parts: chunking your time into blocks.
Chunking helps to overcome stress, overwhelm and procrastination.
Divide up tasks into relevancy. When chunking, you should group tasks that are similar into the same batch. Tasks will be more efficient when they're grouped together because you can break up larger goals into smaller actions that lead to complete success.
It's important not to chunk so much work at once though.
Allocate 20-30 minutes per task. The best practice is to set an alarm for each task and assess once the alarm goes off. This helps to see if the chunk was too much or not enough.
The most important aspect is to stay focused on your chunk of work until it's completed, then you can move on to the next task in line.
Then your day becomes more productive and efficient because you're able to focus better. Rinse and repeat to build momentum.
This is how you increase productivity.
Take small breaks for three-five minutes. This helps to bring forth that inner force to tackle the next task.
We are built to succeed and this process can program the mind that it is winning and moving forward. It is also a great tool for staying excited along the way. We always hear gurus saying it is about the journey, not the destination. I would like to think this is what they mean.
Majoring in Majors. In our everyday life, we do so many tasks that divert us from our goals. Before we look at zoning in we look at how to do away with minors so we can major in majors.
Draw a chat. Analyse how much time you spend on minors and see if that can go to majors.
Zoning In
Bullseye focus: If you ever played darts you know the Bullseye is much more than a little ring around the board. It means to focus on one thing at a time and do it right, rather than multitasking and doing everything alright - Pouring life force into a task gives it life.
The mind cannot handle many things at once, so instead of trying to be good at every task then take up you should stay calm and focused on the task at hand. Bullseye focus really helps you do this.
Benefits of Bullseye Focus:
- Improved Productivity
- Greater Teamwork and Collaboration
- Increased Happiness, Satisfaction, and Motivation to Keep Going!
Many people misuse their mental energy projecting into the future (worrying), reliving past events (regret) or getting caught up in the future (worry).
Typically when people try to multitask they end up sacrificing quality on either all of their jobs/projects.
Remove time-wasters - minors and focus on majors - goals.
Conclusion:
Having a tool to stay focused is important. We all know that it's hard and can be discouraging at first, but with the right tools, we're able to find our groove and stay on track. Have you found what works for you? Share your story in the comment section below!
With the amount of information that’s available to us these days, it can be hard to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. In this post, we discussed a few tips and tricks you can use to stay focused so you have more time in your day for what matters most. To major in majors, as Marshall Goldsmith would say, you need laser-like focus. What are some ways that help keep your mind from wandering? Share with us below!