How to Better Focus and Maintain your Concentration in an Environment of Distraction.

July 19, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Self Development 

To truly focus and maintain your concentration in an environment of distraction, remember to:
1. Set up your office for maximum productivity and minimum distractions.
2. Avoid wasted time from daydreaming.
3. Stop flitting around from task to task and stick to one thing.
4. Don’t multi-task or attempt too many things at once.
5. Get absorbed in a project and achieve a state of flow.
6. Stay focused on boring or uninteresting tasks.

Learn How to Better Focus

When you have a priority project and want to actually concentrate on getting it done without being distracted, you’re going to need some new tools. I really believe that many people have completely lost the ability to stay tuned into one task at a time. They have seventeen browsers open and are trying to do several things at the same time.

A seminar participant once told me, “There are times when little details just build up, and I begin to lose focus. When I lose focus, I tend to flit around from one item to the next, without completing a single thing.” This made me think of a butterfly, flitting around from flower to flower to flower. There is a fine line between flitting—ineffective distractedness—and effective juggling of multiple tasks. The former, the flitting, is created by default. You just do it without thinking about it. The latter, the effective juggling, is created by design.

I’m going to call the ineffective type of flitting a “butterfly” and the effective type a “postage stamp,” because a butterfly randomly flits from task to task, but a postage stamp sticks to one thing until it gets to its intended destination. You need to stick to one thing until you get there. So, you might think of having a little postage stamp in the middle of your forehead.

Perhaps you have half-done projects all over the place, in your office and in your home. Maybe you get distracted easily. Do you tend to blow with the wind in many different directions? If so, you might be a butterfly. Butterflies have this odd sensation at the end of the day of having worked hard but not gotten anything done. It’s because they were so busy, but they didn’t stay focused and concentrate on what must get done.

Stamps, on the other hand, are purposeful in their activities and can juggle many things. They get one thing done or started and then purposefully switch to something else for a time. They know when and why to switch back to the other task. They don’t let themselves get distracted by brain traffic, emails, or interruptions.
How do you become less of a butterfly and more of a stamp?

• Practice. When you know you’re off task, get into the habit of self-correction. Say to yourself in your head, “Focus. Focus. Focus. I really shouldn’t be doing this right now. No, do not switch over to that screen. Get back on task.” Talk to yourself.
• Write down distractions but don’t follow them. If you think of something that needs to be done while you’re working on a higher priority task, write it down or capture it electronically (however you track your to-dos). Then go right back to the original task. Don’t actually do what you just thought of. If you think it, ink it, don’t actually do it.
• Avoid your known distractions. Personally, I love surfing the Internet. I love reading the latest news. I love doing my email. However, when I’m working on a high priority project, I don’t allow myself to even have a browser open, and I close Outlook, so incoming email doesn’t distract me. I make sure I have a fresh cup of coffee before I begin, so I don’t have an excuse to get up and go to the kitchen, where I might find something important to do.
• Defer interruptions during this time. Resist the urge to check email. I know it’s tempting, because we think, “I wonder who it’s from.” Don’t look! If a friend comes by and wants to visit, ask them to come back or make plans for lunch. Tell them you are right in the middle of something important. It’s really critical that you protect your time and set boundaries with other people.
• Prioritize every day. Know what to work on at all times. Every day ask yourself, “If I could only accomplish three things today, what would they be? What would I need to accomplish today to feel good about the day when I leave?” Make sure to focus on doing those things first.
So, self-correct yourself as you go with a quick “flit, flit” reminder in your brain when you’re being a butterfly. Keep track of other tasks, but don’t do them. Avoid distractions and interruptions and make sure to prioritize. Try to imagine yourself with that silly postage stamp on your head, focusing on priority tasks.

Tags: