It’s safe to say we live in a world where it’s easy to get distracted. From cell phones buzzing and dinging to checking Facebook every 30 minutes to see who’s doing what, focus can dwindle fast. Some say this generation has gone ADHD and it’s looking like there’s no going back.
Don’t get me wrong. I love technology and use it all the time. It comes in handy for business and at home. Even apps like Siri and Alexa make my life easier. However, getting distracted regularly won’t do you much good when you’re working on achieving your goals. Sure, you may get there, but if you could laser focus, you could get there a whole lot faster.
Laser focus time
When I’m doing what I call “intense work”, I’m laser focused. I’m on task. Now, maybe once in a while I might be tempted to get sidetracked. If the phone is ringing or dinging, I may fiddle with it, but I’ve learned through the years that one peek at the phone during intense work time could cause me to run down a rabbit trail for 15 or 30 minutes. And there I am losing my focus and losing out on time working toward my goal.
Have you ever experienced this?
Harnessing your focus
We’ve all got the ability to laser focus on something. It’s simply making a commitment to do so. I bet if I offered $5K to those who could have their work done in 4 hours that they usually do in 8, plenty would find themselves laser focused and punching the clock in less than 4 hours.
We know the value in staying focused, so what’s holding us back? Here are 3 tips to help you develop and laser focus on your goals.
- Use the 5-Second Rule
Mel Robbins has come up with what’s called the 5-Second Rule. Everyone has things that they want to do, but they don’t do them. They know they should exercise or make that connection or read that book. But knowing doesn’t equal doing. Just having the desire won’t cause you to take action much of the time.
The 5-Second Rule can help get you moving toward your goals, in that when something crosses your mind (like calling that person you met at that business luncheon), you’ve got 5 seconds to do it or your brain will forget about it. You’ve got 5 seconds to make that call or chances are you won’t. You get a thought of something you need and do and bam you do it within 5 seconds and you’ll become more productive; I guarantee it.
You can also use the rule like this. Say you want to do 20 push ups a day because you want to get stronger. You might not feel motivated to do this each day, so when the thought comes to mind, say to yourself, “In 5-seconds, I’m going to do those pushups.” Then count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 – and drop and do 20! It’ll literally take you seconds. This exercise can certainly help you develop laser focus.
- Break up with your notifications
Social media and email notifications can be major distractions, so turn them off. I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now, thinking you can’t bear the thought of not knowing when you have a notification. When you’re on task doing “intense work” or spending quality time with someone, those dings on your phone can distract you and cause you to waste time. So, turn them off and check them later when your task is to “check notifications.”
- Shoot for balance
For some people, it’s easy to become addicted to work. We desire successful businesses, building a wealthy lifestyle for ourselves and our family. However, if you get off balance here, you could end up tired, burned out, and your family may not be thrilled with you MIA all the time.
Laser focus while you’re on the clock and enjoy your off time with your family. It’s also wise to enjoy solo time, unplugged from everyone and everything regularly. Whether you’re the outdoors type who loves to fish, kayak, or hike, or you’re a book lover who loves a good cup of tea and interesting read at your local coffee shop, go enjoy some R & R.
You can learn to laser focus your attention on goals that you’ve created for your business and personal life. It will take commitment, discipline, and practice, but it’s well worth it.
How are you doing when it comes to distractions?
Can you commit right now to laser focusing more often?
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