With endless distractions at our fingertips, focusing on any given task can be hard. Especially when the task at hand is particularly daunting, time-consuming, or just plain boring. I have had difficulty with focus (on work, school, and other important projects) throughout my life, so I know how frustrating it is to waste time and energy trying to force yourself to work on something when your mind is elsewhere.
It’s only recently that I’ve had more success quieting my thoughts and improving my ability to concentrate. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of times I sit staring at my computer, dreading the project or article I have to complete, and unnecessarily wasting hours on end as I tell myself “I just don’t feel like it!”
If this sounds at all like you, check out these 7 strategies I’ve implemented that help me focus on and complete my work:
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1. Stop Procrastinating
When left to myself, I am the queen of procrastination. In the past, I always “needed” the pressure of a time crunch to get motivated enough to finish whatever project was due. I used this justification ALL THE TIME for delaying school projects, work, and even social events like party-planning. And it was really hard to stop doing it, because everything always worked out in the end (and I often received very positive feedback from my last-minute masterpieces).
However, as much as I’ve clung to procrastinating in the past, it has always left me overstressed and exhausted. Between pulling all-nighters, fretting about not having enough hours in a day to finish a task, and putting off anything and everything else going on in my life to get the project done, by the time I finished said-project I was a wreck emotionally and physically.
This is why my first tip to focus and get work done is to stop procrastinating.
You’re rarely, if ever, going to “feel like” doing your work and you’re only going to hurt yourself by delaying the inevitable (trust me, I have EXTENSIVE experience on this one). Decide to stop procrastinating right now and just start. I find that starting is actually the hardest part, so once you’re over that hurdle you’ve won half the battle.
For a more in-depth read on procrastination, head over to How to Stop Procrastinating Right Now.
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2. Calendar a Specific Timeslot
Once you’ve decided to tackle your project, you need to be very specific on when you’re going to start and finish it. Having a vague time period or simply giving yourself the day to “work on a project” all but guarantees that you won’t finish it. Something more important or more urgent will come up or you’ll spend the whole time surfing the web and not focusing. Next thing you know, the entire day has passed with no progress made on the thing you wanted to get done.
Create an event on your calendar, or an item on your “to-do” list, regarding the project. Specifically, list the task you’re going to complete (e.g. “Write article re 7 Strategies to Focus”). Then, think of how much time you will realistically need to finish it, and only allow yourself that period of time to get it done.
If you’re like me, when you give yourself more time than you need, you will dawdle and waste time just because you have it. Force yourself to finish your project within the allotted time period and, when the time is up, stop what you’re doing and move on to your next task. If it’s a particularly big project, break it down into manageable chunks. Give each chunk of the assignment its own time slot and give yourself some downtime in between work periods to give your brain a break and to renew motivation.
But before you actually roll up your sleeves and begin…
3. Take Care of Essential Needs Before You Sit Down to Work
Use the bathroom, drink some water if you’re thirsty, eat breakfast or lunch, etc. If there’s something that’s going to interrupt your productivity during the designated time slot, take care of it ahead of time so you don’t have an excuse to get up when you’re in the middle of working.
This ties right into my next point…
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4. Don’t Leave Your Space, or Desk, or Chair Until You’ve Finished
Since you’ve already taken care of your basic needs beforehand, outside of a medical condition or emergency, you have no excuse to get up or leave your workspace during your calendared time period.
I am so guilty of doing just a tiny bit of work, then telling myself I “deserve a break” or “need something to drink.” This is a killer because when I break my concentration, I am exponentially less motivated to complete my work and far more likely to come up with an excuse as to why I don’t have to do it right this minute.
You don’t really need that snack or drink right now, your brain just wants to be distracted. Even when it seems unbearable, make it a point to remain immersed in your project until you’re 100% complete. Then you can celebrate with a break!
And speaking of distractions…
5. Put Your Phone Away
…and by “away” I mean out of sight.
Our phones are probably the number one cause of distraction and not getting things done. It’s funny how when, the moment I sit down ready to start a project, I suddenly remember that text I didn’t answer earlier today, or that I haven’t checked Pinterest in a while, or that there are probably emails piling up and waiting for my attention. When my phone is sitting in front of me, each text or call becomes an emergency I “need” to deal with asap before I can get back to work.
Think about it, when you’re trying to focus on something and you see your notifications going off, you’re going to start thinking about and/or stressing over all of the other things you “have” to do. This will pull you away from whatever you’re trying to accomplish or, at the very least, it will reduce your attention span for the project.
The call, email, or text message can wait an hour or two. Put your phone in another room if you have to, just don’t look at it while you’re focusing on your scheduled work.
On a related note….
6. Close All Tabs (and don’t open new ones)
An organized person would have a panic attack looking at the tab situation on my laptop and cellphone. When I’m on my phone or computer for recreation, I’m constantly flipping from tab to tab, opening up new ones to google a word I didn’t recognize, stopping in the middle of a video or article to check social media or message a friend back, or refreshing IMDB’s website to find out when Sherlock Holmes 3 is coming out (come on guys, it’s been like 9 years now…).
It’s chaos.
I have the same inclination to do this when I’m trying to concentrate on work, so I have to make it a point to shut down every single tab or program that does not relate directly to the project at hand.
Typically, this means I have only one word doc open, or a word doc and one tab on Google for research questions.
But it’s hard to be disciplined with this because my thoughts are constantly racing and my brain is always curious about unrelated topics. I have a difficult time ignoring these questions because I think I’ll forget to look up the answers later, which stresses me out.
This leads me to my final concentration strategy…
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7. Have a “Brain Dump” Notepad Available
Just like having too many tabs open on your computer, it’s counterproductive to have too many tabs open in your brain. If you’re like me, your mind is constantly jumping from thought to thought, and it’s extremely difficult to avoid following those thoughts down the rabbit hole.
This is why I suggest having a “brain dump” page handy. And by handy, I mean sitting right next to you. When you find yourself thinking of anything other than what you’re currently working on, write it down on your paper or in your notebook.
Writing it down lets your mind know that you won’t forget about the task and it allows you to stop worrying about it for the time being. This strategy has helped me so much!
Final Note
Having difficulty concentrating on work that needs to be done is so frustrating, but with the right mindset and willpower, focus is achievable. I hope the strategies I’ve shared will help you tick off that item sitting on your to-do list!