Staying focused in business is essential if you want to increase productivity and achieve your goal, the whole reason why you started your journey in business in the first place. Here are some effective and proven ways to stay focused within business.
Live By The “3 Great Ideas” Philosophy
This might be the most underused but effective way to stay focused and that has real-life proof of what it can achieve If you master then you’re capable of producing 3 great ideas a day.
For almost 2 decades Steve Jobs, the face and founder of Apple has sworn by this regularly through his motivational speeches and not only talks about it but shows us. Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day, and this may seem peculiar to some but makes complete sense. Jobs lives by the rule that you only make 3 good decisions a day and therefore doesn’t waste his mental energy, time and one of his great ideas on which tie goes better with which shirt.
This has been adopted and beliefs are shared by former president Barack Obama and multi-billionaire Jeff Bazo who continually share their thoughts on how trivial things can get in the way and to spend more time worrying about things that matter.
Keeping it the same or just plain simple will save so much trivial pondering on things that aren’t relevant to a successful life within the business. To minimise the time decide which gym leggings to wear to the gym or which suit to wear for a meeting as it is all trivial and can reduce your productivity and mental strength to view the bigger picture.
Pomodoro Technique
A way to get the most out of your levels of productivity would be to break down your working times into fragments or pieces also known as using the Pomodoro technique. This method has quickly become popular and used amongst those who are studying at University and those managers of large firms.
Recent studies have shown that the success rate of “work and short pause” cycles is the natural way for a human body to maintain focus. The technique is very simple and has stayed the same since Francesco Cirillo invented it in the 1980s:
- Decide which task you’d like to complete.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes – the Pomodoro interval.
- Work on your task.
- Stop working when the timer rings, and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
- Take a short 3-5 minute break.
- After 4 Pomodoro intervals, take a longer break of 20-30 minutes and repeat from step one.
The power of this time management technique is structured around boosts of productivity that not only keep morale up but also keep your energy levels up to produce quality pieces of work and make informed decisions. It acts as a way of recharging the brain.
Manage Only What You Can Control
It is a well-known fact that we all can get frustrated sometimes and waste energy and time on things that we can’t control whether that’s happening at work or during our free time.
If you recognise the difference between Is there anything I can do to change or stop this stressful thing and understand that it is temporary and out of your control you will conserve so much mental time and energy and allow yourself to channel it into something productive instead whether its a proposal for an important business meeting or an interview you’ve been wanting to get for the longest time.
According to Microsoft Research, people who attempt to focus on more than one thing at a time reduce their productivity by up to 40%.
A way to stop trying to control everything is through practising mindfulness meditation to stay present in the moment or channel that stressful energy into exercise by determining what you can control first, solutions for those concerns will follow. Learning to master mindfulness and understanding what you can control with your business will drive rapid growth.
Deadlines & Short Term Goals
Sometimes we set tasks in our head for us to do whether it’s as simple as I need to send that parcel off soon but without giving yourself a schedule or any repercussions from doing it. By establishing deadlines for tasks and projects, knowing it has to be done before a specific time you become more motivated and focus on finishing that task.
This is perfect for when you have a large project at hand, It may as a whole seem overwhelming at times but if you sections and divide it up into daily tasks and slowly chip away at it then at the end you will have a piece of work that fully represents what you’re capable of.
This also applies to setting short-term goals, It’s easy to say that you want to be the founder of a multi-billion dollar company or even a small business owner but if you are setting short-term goals you are setting yourself up for stress and disappointment. Setting clear and realistic goals will give you a clear sense of what you want and keep you focused on the important tasks at present.
Don’t Forget The Basics
This may come as no surprise but it is important to have all the basics down and incorporated into your daily routine. They are just as effective as production techniques and without them, you might as well forget it:
- Stay Healthy: A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Having a nutritious diet and regular exercise might seem like more hard work than it’s worth but it’s the opposite, the more you start treating yourself the more productive and focused you become.
- Sleep: Getting enough sleep is crucial for optimum performance in business, it helps not only make you feel better but also think and act better. 8 hours of sleep every night should be mandatory within your new routine.
Overall
Remember that staying focused is an ongoing process that requires practice, discipline and determination. As long as you don’t forget the reason why you’re doing this it should motivate you to push through the challenges. Implementing these strategies throughout your day-to-day until they become part of your daily routine will not only improve your ability to focus but to reach your ultimate goals within business.
