Douglas: Welcome to the Unleash Your Potential Blog, what question can I answer for you today?
PathwayProtector: What techniques can help me improve my focus and concentration?
Douglas: I don’t know about you, but I find focus and concentration are much stronger when I am doing something that I enjoy or something important to me. However, let's face it, there are many times when we need to focus and concentrate on something we don’t necessarily want to do.
Some people seem to have it easy. Once they decide they need to do something, they can put their “nose to the grindstone” and get it done. I find that even when I am doing something I enjoy, I cannot always do that. This question hit home for me.
In the end, you are going to need to find the things that work for you, but here are some things that I have found to work.
Remove interruptions – When I am at the university, sometimes I just have to shut my door and put “in a Zoom meeting” on the door. This usually limits the number of times my door gets knocked on. Each time someone asks for my attention, I find it very difficult to get back in the zone.” At home, I will tell the others in my house that for the next X minutes, I need to be undisturbed so that I can focus on the task.
Find a focus spot – Sometimes when I'm at home, or work, it is too easy to divert my attention to something else. When I am finding it difficult to focus, I go to another spot to work where I can focus on what I am doing. On more than one occasion I have gone to a local coffee shop where no one knows me, put in the earbuds with some music that drowns things out but doesn’t distract me, and then I can focus.
Gamify the work – When I engage in mini-games, I find I am much more focused on the task at hand. I turn the work into a mind game and compete against myself. If I am engaged in this competition, the work seems less like work and more like play. The time passes a little easier. I also find my work is more accurate because I am focused on “winning.”
Ditch the social media – “I am just gonna check FB real quick” becomes a 30-minute diversion. I prefer ditching the phone entirely, but sometimes that is not an option so I just uninstall the social media apps. If you are constantly trying to keep up with social media, you will be continually diverting your attention from the work.
Set a timer – I function better when I commit to X minutes of focus and then I get a break. I find that 60 minutes allows me to dig into a project and feel like I have made some headway. You can always negotiate extra time at the end of the focus session, but it is a great way to get started. You will have to find the amount of time that works best for you. Experiment and see where the sweet spot is!
Change tasks from time to time – Along with the timer, I like to move from project to project. I will spend 60 minutes on university work, 60 minutes on church stuff, 60 minutes on coaching, repeat. When I am at work I will spend 60 minutes on class prep, 60 minutes on choir prep, etc. The point is not to get mired in one project as distraction can creep in.
These are just a few ideas for improving focus and concentration. The most important thing you can do is find a way to identify why the task is meaningful to you. You may not want to write that report at work, but doing a good job on the report allows you to keep the job or maybe even get a raise which provides you with money to do the things you want to do.
I hope my answer sheds some light on your question. If you want to dig into this concept further, I encourage you to reach out and set up a conversation. In the meantime, check back tomorrow for the next question in the Unleash Your Potential Series!
Be Well!
Comments