How do I become more focused? (10 Key Steps to getting on Track)
By Antoine G Larosiliere
A cousin of one once told me that I wasn’t successful because I wasn’t focused. So, I made it my mission to find out how do I become more focused.
My best friend and I had the same problem growing up; we were too talented. When there are so many things you do well and enjoy, it’s difficult to choose a path for success. Multitasking and being multi talented leads to a lack of focus. The older I got, it became more and more important to get the answer to “how do I become more focused?” After a decade of failures and inconsistency; I finally became more focused, and below are the 10 most effective strategies I use.
Whatever your goals in life are, there are thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people trying to attain the same thing.
#1 Give yourself a head start.
Whatever your goals in life are, there are thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people trying to attain the same thing. So, your competition is fierce whether you realize it or not. How do you get an advantage over your competition? The answer is, get an earlier start. Get two major things done, before your competition wakes up. Also since everyone else is sleeping, it’s a lot easier to focus.
#2 Have a nutritious diet and meal prep.
One of the things that I do early in the morning before anyone else is up is meal prep. Making sure you have plenty of healthy meals for the week will keep your body energized and your mind focused. It will allow your body to work at maximum efficacy to face whatever challenges that arise throughout the course of the day. Meal prepping helps you also focus by…
- Conserving your time and energy.
- Helps you be less frivolous with your spending.
- Helps manage your portion sizes to maintain weight loss.
- You’ll be less stressed throughout the week.
#3 Exercise first thing in the morning
You can’t run around and tackle task after task if you don’t have the physical endurance. The more active we are, the more fit we become. The more fit we become, the more we extend our ability to focus. Therefore, exercise is essential to being an overall better performer. It’s also best to do the exercises first thing in the morning to give you the energy necessary to execute consistently. Exercising sharpens your memory and thinking by releasing endorphins that help you concentrate. Exercise also helps create new brain cells and prevents declines related to age. Exercise can even help regulate your sleeping patterns which allows us to be more rested enough to focus.
#4 Remove all distractions.
The next most important thing is to remove as many distractions throughout the day as possible. If you want to focus, put things in pace that will allow you to focus. If you have people in your life who mainly serve as a distraction, remove them immediately; if it’s possible. If it’s not possible to remove these people; ask them firmly to not distract you. Do your work in a quiet space, and make sure that area is also organized. Try turning off the notifications on your phone, or shut off your phone completely during specific blocks of time.
#5 Use a timer to complete tasks.
Being conscious of time can definitely help you keep focus. Therefore, you should definitely consider using a timer to keep track of time spent on certain tasks. Using time would help you maximize your use of time, by training your mind to stay focused for specific periods of time. So, set your timer for 20-25 minutes; then take a five minute break. Keep repeating that process until the task is done. If you’re having trouble sustaining focus for 20-25 minute, shorten your time to 10-15 minutes and build your stamina from there.
#6 Get enough sleep
It’s common knowledge that getting enough sleep has multiple health benefits. One of those benefits include helping you to focus more. Therefore, when you don’t get enough sleep; it also directly affects your focus. Scientists who measure sleepiness have found that sleep deprivation slows down your thought processes by lowering alertness and concentration. A lack of sleep also slows your reaction time, which also directly affects your focus. According to research, “driving while sleepy is the same as driving with a blood alcohol content of .08%;” which is over the legal limit in many states. The recommended amount of sleep for adults aged 18-60 is 7 or more hours a night. A few helpful tips to help improve your sleep include…
- Avoid caffeinated beverages after lunchtime.
- Shut off all electronic devices an hour before bedtime.
- Don’t watch scary shows or movies before bedtime.
- Make sure your last meal is 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- Read a book, take a warm bath, listen to soothing music.
- Make sure your room is quiet, with the exception of tranquil sounds.
- Keep your bedroom cool. According to the Cleveland Clinic, an ideal temperature is between 60 and 67°F (15.6 and 19.4°C).
#7 Make a to-to list.
Many of you are like me, lacking organization in your life. Lacking organization makes it difficult to maintain focus. If your thoughts are not organized, your priorities aren’t organized, neither will your focus. Studies show that having a written action plan can increase productivity and focus.To organize your focus, you need a to-do list. It doesn’t matter if it is on a piece of paper, a bulletin board or your phone; get one done immediately. First make a list of your priorities and the order in which they should be addressed, then create a to-do list addressing the priorities for the day and throughout the week.
#8 Choose one goal.
Usually when you have many abilities and interests it’s hard to choose one to focus one. Once you’ve made a to-do list prioritizing your goals, you must choose one to focus on. Juggling multiple tasks at once can drastically impede on productivity and makes it much harder to focus and fine tune the details that lead to competition and success.
Choosing one goal and having that tunnel vision was the key to much of my focus. To have that tunnel vision, I made accomplishing that one goal a matter of life and death. It’s a bit extreme, but it works for me. I try to view as if not accomplishing that one goal would ruin me, or greatly compromise any plans of future success.
#9 Be at peace with the past and embrace the present.
Once you’ve chosen a goal to focus on, don’t let any other thoughts deter your focus. If you’re still being hard on yourself about past transgressions or things others have done to you in the past…you must let it go and move on. It’s difficult to stay focused when you’re still troubled by the past. To be more focused, you also must embrace the present. Being in the present requires you to block out distractions and fully embrace the moment. That means enjoying the feelings, the people, the scenery, the smells that accompany the experience. Enjoy it all, the good and the bad.
#10 Practice meditating.
Mindfulness and meditation has continued to be at the forefront of health and fitness due to its many benefits. Studies have shown that people who meditate have improved concentration and focus. They are able to stay on tasks longer, switch between tasks less frequently, and perform more efficiently. Meditation increases the ability to concentrate by inducing a state of flow. To learn more about meditation and it benefits visit Mindful.org.
Becoming more focused will help you complete tasks, major goals that eventually lead to success. It will bring many forms of joy and accomplishment into your life and the life of your loved ones. I hope this has been helpful. Also visit my YouTube channel for more insight to these topics.
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