Hocus Pocus FOCUS!

If only it was that easy. Wave a magic wand, recite a brief incantation and poof – your ability to focus on the task at hand is magically restored. At one time or another, we’ve all been there. Today, it’s my turn. The task at hand? Writing this blog. Distractions? Oh yeah. They’re everywhere. Emails, phone calls, a new industry trade magazine that I must read right now, the need for another cup of coffee (that’s three already this morning), checking on the weather and a few other miscellaneous “shiny ball” moments.

The bottom line is that no matter how many distractions invade my space today, the blog needs to get written. That requires focus. Focus is power. It gives you the ability to push through the clutter and reach the goal.

Did you know that in the office, nearly 50 percent of American employees say they work for only 15 minutes before becoming distracted? Fifty-three percent say an hour or more of their day is wasted on disruptions.  What’s a person to do?

Luckily, helpful tips to beat distractions and stay focused can be found in abundance just by doing a little research. To me, the most important one is to pinpoint the cause of the distraction and then fix it. Are you tired? Hungry? Didn’t get enough sleep? Surrounded by too much noise? Trying to tackle too big of a task at once? Too much clutter around you? Checking emails too often? Once you define the cause of the distraction, you can do something about it. Before you start make sure you have all the tools you need at hand – notes, documents, files – so you don’t’ have to stop what you’re doing and spend time looking for them. If your focus starts to falter somewhere along the way, take a break. Then come back and pick up where you left off. Give yourself a deadline. It’s a motivator to stay the course until the job is done. Find what works for you.

And now, my task is complete. I will leave you with this thought. Starve your distractions. Feed your focus.

Posted by MJ Thomas