7 Ways to Eliminate Distractions and Become More Laser Focused

Do you feel like technology is giving you a case of ADD?
Are you constantly checking your phone for the latest Facebook posts?
Do you have FOMO if you don’t check your Instagram every time you see a notification pop up on your phone?

Distractions are the Norm These Days

In this day and age we are all constantly bombarded with distractions and it is requiring more time and energy to stay disciplined. The ability to focus varies from person to person, but we can all work on focusing more effectively. Personally I am a people person and I love being social. If I could be out at meetings all day long,every day surrounded by amazing entrepreneurs I would be very happy. However, running a successful business requires time in my office where I need to focus on writing topics, blogs, and compiling class material. Since I have been “training” myself to more focused by banishing distractions, I realized that I can improve my overall focus and I can also accomplish more in less time!! Accomplishing more in less time means that I have more time to focus on some of the things that I really love like swimming and going out to lunch with friends.

Here are 7 ways to develop greater focus and accomplish more in less time.

I am using these techniques and they have helped me a lot in my business:

Remove distractions– It that means put your phone in another room then do it. Close your door. Clear your screen. Close your social media windows. Let others know that you do not want to be disturbed. The kids, the spouse, the neighbors can all wait until your task is complete.
Only work on one thing at a time– I am the queen of multitasking and that is a huge mistake. Research shows that moving back and forth between multiple tasks winds up taking more time. If you have ever been cooking and answering emails at the same time and you burn the dinner you know what I am talking about! Dinner is then ruined and you have to start over. It also takes time for your brain to readjust and get back in the flow of things. I must confess that I still multitask but I am working on not doing it as often.
Find your passion– Money does not buy happiness. If you find your true passion and build a business around it then you will enjoy the tasks at hand. I know that sometimes we start a business thinking we will love it. When that changes and the passion is gone it is time to move on. Focus is easier to accomplish when you are following your passion.
Create a schedule– I must confess that I am a former educator and everything in the school day was planned out to the minute. When I started my own business I wanted to do things on my own time. I soon realized that not having a schedule led to too many distractions. Remember I would rather go for a swim than write a blog so now everything gets scheduled and I keep to the schedule. Now I can say that it is easier to focus when there is a start and an endpoint.
Practice focusing and living in the moment– Also called mindfulness. While watching your kids play baseball, try to only focus on the game. We often have so many thoughts swirling around in our heads that we are not focusing on everyday life. When you are eating focus on how the food tastes and not the television. Savor every morsel. When you are driving keep your eyes and mind on the road. It takes so little to live life more fully!
Free up room in your life and your brain for things that aren’t so important– Having too many things in your life is distracting. Every part of your life takes up space in your head so get rid of the unimportant stuff. Life is too short to focus on things that have very little meaning. Free up some space in your life and brain. You will find it much easier to focus on the important things that really matter to you and are necessary for your business.
Take breaks– No one can maintain a high state of focus for the entire work day. Go for a walk around the block every 2 hours or get up from your desk and stretch your body for 5 minutes. Taking a short break gives your brain a quick rest. Since I started doing this I find that I am more focused and can accomplish more throughout the day.