Focus: Get Back on Track

Four ways to help.

Photo by Surface on Unsplash

When you go to bed at night, do you wonder if you accomplished anything that day? Do you feel like your day was wasted? When your to-do list is long, and you’re faced with constant interruptions, it’s easy to become distracted and not get anything of substance done. Here are a few ways you can get back on track.

Eliminate Distractions

I’ve mentioned this several times before. To truly focus and concentrate, you must eliminate as many distractions as possible. Make a list of what pulls your attention away from work at hand, and do whatever you can to minimize those things. For example, turn off the ringer on your phone and allow voice mail to handle incoming calls; turn off your phone and desktop notifications; and schedule time to check your emails — AFTER you have completed your current task.

Prioritize.

Working on several projects at once can be distracting. Pick one project and focus on it until you’ve completed it. In the end, you’ll get much more done and finish faster than you would have if switching between projects. To prioritize, you’ll need to figure out a system that works for you. You might want to start with the project that has the earliest deadline. Or you might want to choose the one with the least number of steps or components. Try it each way and see…