“Train yourself to be fully and completely immersed in what you are doing at the moment, and it will become a habit.” Daily Creative: Find Your Inspiration to Spark Creative Energy and Fight Burnout, by Todd Henry.
Being able to focus is the super skill that will make you 10x more productive.
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to keep our minds focused on the task at hand. With constant phone and computer notifications, emails, and other distractions vying for our attention, it’s no wonder that we struggle to stay present and productive.
As writer Chris Bailey says in his book Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction, “The more we can manage our attention with intention, the more focused, productive, and creative we become.” By setting clear intentions and eliminating distractions, we can train our minds to stay present and focused.
4 Proven Techniques To Help You Become a Focus Ninja
1. Set an Intention
To focus, you must intend to focus.
And that focus needs to be directed toward completing one specific task.
“Multi-tasking” doesn’t exist. Studies have shown that when we attempt to multitask, what really happens is that we continuously shift our attention back and forth between tasks. Even though it feels like we’re getting more done, our production suffers. It’s more productive to do one task at a time.
Before beginning any task, take a moment to set an intention for what you hope to accomplish. This could be as simple as “I will write for 30 minutes without checking my phone,” or “I will read for 30 minutes without getting up.”
2. Eliminate Common Focus Distractions
Identify the distractions that commonly pull you away from your work (such as social media, email notifications, or phone calls) and take steps to eliminate them.
• If you have an office with a door, close it. Let coworkers know you’ll be focusing for a block of time. Put a “do not disturb” sign on your door.
• Change your location. If you’re constantly being distracted where you normally work, try changing locations.
I normally work out of my home studio, but it’s easy to get distracted and go to other parts of our home. When I want to really focus on writing a blog post, I spend a few hours at a coffee shop.
• Place your electronic devices into Airplane Mode. This cuts off any notifications from emails and messages.
• If you want to eliminate most notifications, but allow notifications from important people like your boss or family members, use Focus Modes in Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.
For more information on using Focus Modes, see the Apple Support document, and Focus Mode and Contextual Computing, by David Sparks
• If you can’t keep yourself from continuously checking your phone, put it in another room.
3. Use a Pomodoro Timer
All of us have a limited capacity for focus. We can’t focus for an unlimited amount of time without taking breaks.
Using a Pomodoro Timer involves setting a timer for a specific amount of time (usually 25 minutes) and working on a task without any interruptions until the timer goes off. After the timer goes off, take a short break before starting again. Repeat this cycle until the task is complete.
I find this technique very effective. If I’m working on a project in my home studio, it’s easy for me to distract myself by thinking about getting up and getting a drink or snack. If I’ve set a timer, then I tell myself, “I’ll get up when the timer goes off” and keep working until then.
As a timer, you can use a physical timer like a kitchen timer, a timer on a watch like an Apple Watch, or a digital timer on your computer, iPad, or iPhone. For more information about using the Pomodoro Timer, see my blog post, Staying in Focus — The Pomodoro Technique Revisited.
4. Strengthen Your Focus Muscle with Meditation
Regular meditation practice can help you learn to focus your attention and stay present in the moment. Start with just a few minutes of meditation each day and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable with the practice.
Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and attempt to focus on your breathing. At some point, you will become aware that you’re no longer thinking about your breathing but are thinking about something else.
Notice that you’ve become distracted and bring yourself back to focusing on your breathing. Repeat this cycle until the timer goes off.
Work to Make Focus Your SuperPower and Multiply Your Productivity
In conclusion, focus is a super skill that can significantly increase productivity and creativity. By setting clear intentions, eliminating distractions, using a Pomodoro timer, and practicing meditation, we can train our minds to stay focused and present.
It may take some effort and practice to develop this skill, but it is worth it eventually. Instead of being constantly distracted and feeling burned out, we can accomplish more in less time and feel more fulfilled in our work and personal lives.
So let’s make focus our superpower and multiply our productivity!