Each day it passes it becomes harder and harder to focus. New and awesome TV shows, the next viral video, your favorite author is launching a new book, and all the other etcetera in life. I’m still not counting on your real-life responsibilities and obligations. There are just too many things going on to focus, stay motivated, and continue moving forward.
I’m going to give you a list of things you can do to stay on your track to achieve your goals thus staying focus.
Distractions – This is happening all the time. Social media, TV, family, friends. This doesn’t mean you have to be the party pooper. You just need to keep all distractions at bay when concentrating on your tasks. Communication is key. Tell your family that on day X you will be X amount of hours resolving your tasks and you can’t be interrupted.
Cellphones – With today’s technology, you almost have all the entertainment you need in the palm of your hands. You can reach out to anyone you want. From friends and family to even celebrities on social media. These days cellphone developers are realizing the addictions of this equipment and are trying to add features to keep our focus. Do Not Disturb button, Zen Button, Focus mode, and of course the mighty Power Off button. But that phone needs to be on, in case of emergency, since that has become our principal way to communicate in the majority of the world.
Fuel your Body – I love eating. The sentence should end there but we need more information. I remember while training for my Tae-Kwon-Do tournaments I had to have a good diet and for the actual fight, I shouldn’t eat that much pre-fight. Sometimes eating too much or too little can cause problems. Imagine you doing your task, trying to stay focused and your stomach is growling like the Boogeyman under your bed. Okay, that escalated quickly. What I mean is you been hungry and even hangry or feeling bloated will take away your concentration.
Enough Rest – Yes, resting. Sleeping. As it was simpler enough. You rest your head, but the TV is calling you. Cellphone. That book you bought last week. Even trying to rest has become a hurdle or an obstacle challenge. But yeah, getting rested is something important. You’ll feel much better, less groggy, and with a better attitude.
Set goals – Setting realistic goals will seem more plausible than saying that on your first try you will overcome everything, be a best seller, and be financially stable. For instance, in one sit doing a whole book is jarring. You need, research to set our plot and create unbelievable characters. Saying that you will write one page, 500 words, 2000, can be more realistic. Put yourself in a way that you don’t beat yourself up if you don’t reach the pedestal of goals you set up. Sometimes slow and steady can be better than feeling anxious because it is almost impossible to finish your goal in a very tight deadline.
To-Do lists – This list is good, and makes you feel like you are accomplishing more things than one giant task. Today I will write on my page, edit my YouTube video, and write 500 more words on my book. You will feel like you did a lot instead of saying I will finish one whole chapter when you know there is so much on your plate. Prepping things for the next day can be on your To-Do list. What do you need to feel productive? I don’t want to burst your bubble. If in your To-Do list you actually want to write a full chapter, go for it. Same as the previous point, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t achieve everything. You are on a journey not in a race.
Know yourself – What are your strengths and weaknesses? For how long can you be productive. For me, when I’m writing head-on, my max time is 2 hours. After that, I get a headache. With that said, is not like I leave everything after two hours, just stop writing. I check again my To-Do list to see what I can tackle next. What else you need about you? When you are going to eat? Take a bath? Actually, enjoy life? It is not all work and no fun. You need to know your limits, and how far you can push yourself.
Recap and Review – Before going to work you need to know, what you are going to do. What is the objective? Once you finish what you are going to do review it. Was it done with the best quality? Was it done but it needs polishing? Prepare yourself, then evaluate your work. Be tough on you, to see if you need to come back later to this task.
Schedule – Create a schedule and stick to it. This talks more about your maturity and discipline. At the same time make it a flexible schedule, don’t make it tight that you don’t have a cushion for unexpected events. Life is demanding, and there are things that will call for your attention immediately. The other thing is, that there are a lot of people that don’t like having a constrain in their life, but believe me, scheduling will give you a compass on your next goal. If you stick to it you can set up a deadline on when you can finish what you set yourself to do.
Avoid multitasking – We have been slapped these days with doing to do multiple things at the same time. Even though scientists have confirmed that multitasking, takes our focus for one or more things that we are doing at the same time, proving that you can have become a challenge. Go back to your To-Do list. Go one by one and focus 100% on finish each one with the best intention possible. Give it your all so it is doing with the best of your capacities.
These are just some ways that you can focus on. Do your best, remember that slow and steady wins the race. I hope this helps you all. Go for it! I want you to succeed, and become better. Focus and get things done. That’s all for now, so keep writing mis amigos.