Introduction

In Today’s world with unlimited distractions, it can be very hard to stay focused. Our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions. Advertisements are being thrown at us left and right and not to mention the biggest beast of them all, Social Media. Our younger generations are now more than ever struggle with the ability to focus, which has resulted in a lack of self-image, self-knowledge, and most importantly self-control.

Don’t worry though I’ve got you covered. I have researched for a few weeks on the topic of focus. Why it’s important, and how to develop it, and I have simplified that extensive research into a list of 7 simple tasks, you can do to GET FOCUSED, and MAINTAIN THAT FOCUS.

Firstly, I would like to point out that the only way to undo bad habits is to replace them with good ones. If you put the things on this list into action you will see the fruit of your labor immediately. You will have more clarity in your vision and more energy and capacity to focus your efforts and be more successful.

PLAN AHEAD

Planning ahead and especially writing those plans down will greatly increase your chances of actually obtaining what you want to accomplish. Planning helps you to assess the risk and opportunities of a given situation.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

PROVERBS 19:21

WRITE PLANS DOWN

Writing your goals and plans down greatly increase your chances of actually making it happen. In fact,

“you are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals than people who don’t”.

Mark Murphey-Forbes

SET GOALS

Setting goals is extremely important because it helps you hone in on what it is you actually want to accomplish and how you’re going to get there. It enables you to maintain a record of your ideas and concepts while making alterations and improvements as you go along. It will also increase your self-confidence and self-awareness. You’ll find as you continue in the goal-setting process you find you putting fewer things on the list but what you do list you will have a detailed analysis of what it actually takes for YOU to get there and even more an action list for HOW you’re going to get there. In short, goal-setting helps with self-mastery.

COMPLETE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS FIRST

When you’re making your task list it is essential that you list the most difficult and most important tasks first. The reason behind doing this is so that you can knock the tough stuff out early and have a more relaxed rest of your day.

Nothing is worse than wrapping up your workday and wanting to go home and enjoy yourself only to be met with a list of huge tasks to do when you get there. Also when you get the important stuff out the way if a distraction or emergency does arrive you are able to handle it without it being such an imposition to your day because you already got the important stuff done.

LIMIT DISTRACTIONS

In order to maintain focus, you must limit your distractions and concentrate only on that which you wish to accomplish. Multi-tasking is a lie. You cannot give more than one thing 100% of your attention. Focus on one thing at a time and give it your best effort then move on knowing that you’ve done your absolute best.

As put by Daniel Goleman…

“The real message is because attention is under siege more than it has ever been in human history, we have more distractions than ever before, we have to be more focused on cultivating the skills of attention,”

Daniel Goleman

MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY

Last and certainly not least proper sleep is essential to maintain focus. It has been proven that proper sleep promotes improved productivity, concentration, awareness, and focus.