Focus and Attention - It may not be ADD

10 Tips for Attention and Focus

Attention or Focus are described as selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. A tough thing to do in this crazy stimulating world.
The interruptions of life from outside your office are many and I see the most popular as:

• staff
• family
• Incoming phone calls (landline, cell, fax)

Then there are the interruptions we create ourselves:

• Checking our mail - email and all other sources
• Checking our mobile device
• Checking the news/weather/market on the internet
• Daydreaming
• Outgoing phone calls

Most weeks are either the week we want, the week we schedule and the week we get!

Here are 10 tips to have a more "weeks we want":

1. Schedule time to do the daily tasks. Putting in your calendar that you will be checking and responding to your email at 8AM, Noon, and 3PM means you will be accountable to yourself to do it at those times. 

2. Set your daily and weekly priorities. Knowing what you need to do this week and today are key to getting work done.

3. Start each day with a review of what you will do today. This takes your priorities and creates a schedule for you to follow during the day. Understand the difference between Important and Urgent. Urgent means it must be done NOW. Important usually means it needs to be done. 

4. Control those distracting factors. That is where we started above with the distractions of life and the things that divert our focus. I am often reminded by teachers that say "Sam can't pay attention, yet this same Sam will spend 2 or 3 hours on the Gameboy." Recognize that not all important and necessary projects are fun. 

5. Create rewards for yourself. When you have successfully finished a project or task, reward yourself with something that gives you energy! Hear that clearly - gives you energy! Examples of "gives you energy" I've run into in the last month.

• 15 minutes shooting hoops
• Cup of Tea
• Taking a 5 minute walk
• Reading a chapter of a book
• Fresh brewed cup of coffee
• 10 minute power nap
• Messing around water/pond/river/lake
• What's yours?____________________ 

6. Pay attention to Daydreaming Moments. When you find yourself "off task" or daydreaming. Instead of getting annoyed and berating yourself. Take a moment and write down what you were thinking about. Often it may not relate to what you are doing right now, but to something else you brain is bothered about. Sometimes it can be a signal to take a break. Just learn to listen a little more.
7. Routine tasks. Use technology and others to help get stuff done. Let the voicemail work, forward all your emails to one account, find someone to do what you don't want to do or don't find energy from doing. Check out www.elance.com or www.odesk.com for routine tasks office tasks.
8. Stop delaying projects. Big projects usually can be split up into smaller projects. Take the time to do that and schedule when you will do each.
9. No - learn to say 'no'. Take a serious look at the work you do and identify those volunteer and networking projects that bring you energy. These are the ones that will be your key to sanity. Finding a charity or non-profit you can put yourself behind means when all the others call you have a great statement "I spend my volunteer time and money with _______." 
10. Finally, daily do PDCA! Plan-Do-Check-Act is the Lean circular system to obtain process improvement. Check and Act mean to review and make adjustments. At the end of the day take time to reflect and make sure what wasn't done is rescheduled for the next day.

Staying focused is a skill, those that seem to be born with it are usually good at knowing what they want and how to get it. You can train yourself for productivity one moment at a time.

Copyright 2011 Linda Lucas Fayerweather

http://www.changinglanes.biz/

419-897-0528