The key to getting things done quickly and efficiently so you have more time for whatever you please, is being able to prioritize the right tasks and having strong focus while you do them.

The problem is that a lot of us struggle to focus well.

A lot of things can get in the way of great focus however, so here are my top recommendations  on how to dial in killer focus:

Deal with distractions.

This one seems pretty obvious, however most of us don’t actually deal with our distractions and simply try to ignore them…which would have worked already if it was ever going to. Be honest with yourself about what yours truly are and remove yourself or the distraction.

Get it down on paper.

Tasks, reminders, things that are stressing you, etc. Get everything swirling around in your mind, down onto paper. It’s practically impossible to truly focus when you are trying to manage things in your mind.

Stop multitasking. 

You can’t actually multitask. Trying to do 2 things that require focus takes longer than doing them one after the other because your brain is wasting precious time and energy re-focusing on one task then the other.

Get clarity.

The more clear it is exactly what you have to do, the easier it is to focus on it. Make a plan with clear actions steps or do some research so you know exactly what to do in order to complete tasks that feel vague.

Also, make sure to plan out your days. Wondering what you need to do next is another distraction. Use a planner, paper ultimately works best for your brain but if you prefer digital, do that. I use my own planner that I created precisely to keep me organized and focused on my goals. Complete day planner and goal planner in one, The Life Book planner has had the biggest impact on making progress on my goals the past few years. You can learn more about it here.

Or, you can give it a test drive with the free 1 month printable version here. Just keep in mind the mini version doesn’t have all the features the full size Life Book does.

Prioritize your health.

You can’t focus well if you are tired, stressed or unhealthy. Laser sharp focus starts with a healthy body and mind. In fact, this should probably be number 1 because if you are unhealthy the other points are going to have very limited effect.

Whatever you do, just make sure you don’t try to fix all of these things as once. Bonus tip: Spreading yourself too thin makes it hard to really focus on any one thing. The more things you’ve got going on, the smaller the progress on each one.

This goes for goals, problems you are trying to solve, new habits or things you’ve got going on in your life.

Jennifer

p.s. If you enjoyed this post and would like access to daily free content on all things organization and productivity, you can find me on IG @organized_owl.