I must admit I’ve had a hard time lately staying focused and productive. I’m putting off easy tasks like writing this article and I’m easily distracted by my phone or the neighbors congregating outside my window.
I discovered there’s good reason why many of us are struggling to concentrate these days. New York City-based psychologist, Paolo Bailey, says there are five basic reasons for having a problem when trying to focus:
Fatigue
Multi-tasking
Boredom
Physical illness or injury
Stress
No wonder many of us are struggling to focus …we’re all under a lot of stress and stress we’ve never dealt with before! I’ve even read that we’re under acute stress, which negatively impacts our working memory and reduces our ability to pay attention.
And yet, our ability to concentrate is key to meeting deadlines and accomplishing our goals.So, how do we regain focus when we find ourselves procrastinating or demotivated?
Here’s a few things I do:
First, I check in with myself to find out the reason for my procrastination. Here are three reasons I’ve discovered that cause me to lose concentration along with the solutions I’ve put in place to help me get back on track.
1. I have no interest in doing the project or task, yet I have to do it.
Solution: I set a timer for 25-minutes and then start the project. When the timer goes off, I stop and assess how things are going. I usually find that after 25-minutes I am focused and engaged in the project and decide to keep working on it. If you’re a job seeker, set a timer and work on your search. My hope is that when the timer goes off you’ll surprise yourself by what you’ve gotten done and continue with your search.
If you’d like to learn more about this timer technique to improve your focus and productivity, I highly recommend the book “The Pomodoro Technique” by Francesco Cirillo.
2. I’m easily distracted by my phone, emails, social media, and news alerts.
Solution: I schedule phone breaks. To help me get focused, I turn my phone off and schedule planned phone breaks in my day. By doing this, I am much more productive and I’m not constantly checking my phone for updates or getting interrupted by texts or phone calls.
The book “The Power of Focus” by Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen and Les Hewitt is a great read if you’re looking for practical, powerful strategies to stay focused.
3. I am overwhelmed by the current task. Solution: When overwhelmed by a task, I take the massive task and break it down into small, realistic action steps. The action steps give me a clear road map of what needs to be done and gets me moving. And completing the steps is motivating and energizing. Sometimes when I’m really stuck, I'll reach out to a friend or an expert to help me work through the big issue or project. Talking to them always helps me stop worrying and lay out a plan with action steps to get back on track.
I highly recommend the book "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy who offers a number of great ways to stop procrastination, get more of the important tasks done and feel energized and motivated each day. I hope you found these suggestions and book recommendations to be helpful. Remember, the key to regaining your focus is taking action, whether it’s 25-minutes or longer.
Here’s to taking action!
P.S. If you’re having a hard time focusing or find yourself to be demotivated, let’s talk. Megan Walls is a certified executive and leadership coach. She is passionate about helping professionals manage their careers and operate at their best. She provides professional guidance for all phases of one's career: entry, advancement and change. If you'd like assistance with your career, please contact Megan at megan@wallscareercoach.com.