Staying Focused

May 10, 2006

Poll results show that staying focused on an action plan or to do list is the most difficult part of time management.

100% of poll votes show staying focused and sticking to a plan is a challenge on the job. Here are some tips to help you stay focused.

Creating an action plan or to do list and then prioritizing the tasks may come easily to you. Sticking to the plan and staying focused may be a completely different story. What can you do to over come this time management problem?

1) Recognize a distraction

Recognizing when you are off course is the first step in gaining focus. Do not beat yourself up when you recognize this as it will keep you stuck if you self-punish. Instead be proud that you caught yourself and use it to learn how to avoid the distraction next time. Recognizing you are off track is a good thing!

2) Define your goals and guiding principles more precisely

If you consistently lose focus it may mean that you have not clearly defined your goal(s). When a surprise comes your way you need to ask yourself, "Will this help or hinder the attainment of my goals?". A great strategy is to define your guiding principles - a list of statements that reflect the methods you'll use in attaining your goals - and then check your surprise against these guiding principles. If it doesn't fit the guiding principles, don't give it your attention and energy. Go over your goals and guiding principles with your supervisor to be sure you are meeting his/her and the company's expectations.

3) Remove distractions

Trying to work in a home office with a kitchen sink full of dirty dishes or children needing attention is not conducive to staying focused. Look for ways to eliminate distractions such as hiring a student to take your kids to the park every day after school or spending an hour each morning doing a few household chores so that they are not an irritation.

4) Delegate

If your to do list is long and it overwhelms you so much that it prevents you from keeping your focus then delegate. Asking for help can be difficult for some people. If that is you, realize that your lack of delegation is keeping you stuck. Look for things that are easy to delegate: tasks that don't require a lot of instruction, tasks that are time consuming, tasks that you procrastinate on, tasks that you know someone else could do a better job on.

6) Make a realistic To Do List

Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves with a very long to do list. Break it down into the top three priorities for each day. Your goal is to accomplish your top three before you work on other priorities.

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If you liked this blog entry, try Time Management or Timing Tasks