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.
It’s no secret that our phones have become a huge distraction for us. They are literally designed to attract our attention in hundreds of different ways. They can take our focus from what we should be doing and they are an easy temptation to zone out when we are procrastinating or feeling overwhelmed.
The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to eliminate the distraction and get back to being productive that don’t include simply getting rid of your phone. In today’s world, where many of us run out lives and businesses from our phones, we need a different solution.
Test 1 or more of these out to see what works best for you. What you use may be different depending on the task, time of day or how you are feeling.
Often times its a multilayered approach that works best so if one doesn’t work by itself, don’t be afraid to add in 1 or 2 more before you right it off completely.
Put phone on Airplane or Do Not Disturb Mode
Turn off notifications for any or all apps that distract
Turn up the sound, turn off notifications for non-urgent things and leave phone in another room.
Remove apps that distract you and only use them on your desktop or laptop.
Sign out of social media apps so they are harder to access.
Remove apps for specific periods of time, like during the work week.
Set boundaries on when and how you can use your phone
Create rule around screen time like your kids are allowed watch tv for an equal amount of time.
Use app that tracks your time on your phone and limits it.
Hide apps that distract on the last page
Set lock screen as graphic with question like, Should you be on your phone right now?
Create a negative consequence for over using.
Leave phone somewhere you have to get up to get to
When you do need to do something on your phone, repeat the task in your head or out loud until it’s done and the screen is locked again.
This list is my no means exhaustive, but it should give you some ideas to start with. Make sure to personalize them to suit your life and personality!
Its worth noting that using a planner on a daily basis is one of the most effective ways to stay focused on what needs to get done. Even if you eliminate your phone as a distraction, if you don’t use a planner there is a good chance you will simply find another distraction. Without a plan to follow, its really easy to wander off course.
Check out the Life Book planner here. It was designed for the ambitious entrepreneur with busy life and big goals. It has some of the most unique but effective features that will get you organized and productive and keep you focused.
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.
So you’ve set some goals, were really great for a few days and now its been 2 weeks and you haven’t done a thing.
What gives?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve wondered if you’re lazy, if you don’t have what it takes or if you’re undeserving of the life you dream of.
Today, I can say with absolute certainly that its NONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I don’t know you, but I know that you can achieve almost anything with the right mindset and skills.
Now I won’t tell you that achieving your goal will be easy and fast, HOWEVER, the reason you don’t stick with working towards that goal is not too hard to fix and is likely one (or a combination) of these 5 things:
The goal is not right for you
First, do some deep thinking, is this something that you truly want to achieve? Or is it something you think you should want?
Its hard to stay focused on something you don’t really want. Or that doesn’t align with your values and priorities. Doing a fitness competition might seem like fun but if it requires spending so much time in the gym that you hardly get to see your family, who are you number 1 priority, you are bound to struggle.
So is the goal really for you? Is what it takes to achieve it something you are comfortable with?
You don’t look at them everyday
I’ve spent a lot of time watching super successful people to learn as much as I can from them and one of the most common things I hear when it comes to goals is that they look at them every day.
Every.
Day.
By looking at their goals as often as possible they keep them forefront in their mind. Seeing your goals written down reminds you why you set them and serves as motivation to keep working on them.
A lot of people write their goals down in a separate note book, which they then leave in their desk drawer and promptly forget about.
The easiest way to get around this is to have your goals, and goal plan, in your daily planner. It has been proven that writing things out with pen and paper has a greater impact on your mind then typing or simply thinking. Things you write down are FAR more likely to happen. Which makes a paper agenda a SUPER important tool when it comes to your goals, your productivity and how well your life is organized.
Incorporating my goal setting into my day planner was, by far, the most impactful change I made. I went from hardly ever achieving anything to regularly accomplishing more then I ever thought I could. Having your goal setting in your planner is the simplest and easiest way to make your goals a regular part of your life.
Don’t have a planner that allows you to do this? Go here to find out more about the one I use.
Your goal plan is too vague
Its really hard to work on your goals when you don’t know exactly what you are supposed to be doing on any given day.
When you make a plan for your goal, all the steps you need to take to achieve it need to be broken down into small, doable action steps.
For example, if one of your goals is to organize your entire home and your first step is to simply ‘do the upper level’, its going to feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What exactly are you supposed to do.
Keep breaking down each step until you get to tasks that are doable in 60 minutes or less, like organize the linen closet or declutter the kids toys.
You didn’t schedule in your goal tasks
Look at your to-do list for today, does it include goal related tasks?
If not, you need to be scheduling these tasks in like you would an appointment or any other to-do you have to accomplish.
When you open your planner on any given week you should know exactly what you need to be doing that week to make progress on your goals.
The other way to do this is to schedule in time to work on your goals. If scheduling in specific tasks doesn’t work for you, then at the very least, schedule in blocks of time to work on your goals, like 30 minutes every evening after the kids go to bed. Your ability to do it this way will depend on the nature your goal, of course, but if it works for you then go for it.
This step creates accountability because your brains sees the scheduled task as something it has to get done, whether its technically “optional” or not. Little bit of brain trickery.
But it works. Accountability is a super important part of achieving your goals for a lot of people, so make sure when you create your goal plan, you figure out and set up any accountability you are going to use.
You didn’t set a proper time limit
Parkinson’s law states that the time you have to do something, is the time it will take you to do it.
So if you give yourself a year to achieve your goal, it will take you a year to achieve your goal.
Of course, you can’t be unreasonable, but the time limit you set should be just enough to get it done. Delays happen, and you might have to give yourself extra time but don’t do that until you have to. Giving yourself too much time (and knowing it) removes the sense of urgency that says you need to start right away, leaving you to put it off and lose focus and interest.
So which one(s) are tripping you up?
I fell victim to every single of one of them before and still do from time to time. When I find myself struggling with a goal, I sit back for a second and see if I’m guilty of one of these. Personally, it usually is that I haven’t broken the plan down into small enough actionable steps.
It basically comes down to this: Your goals need to be a regular, everyday part of your life, like eating meals or exercising. The easiest way to do this is to make it a habit using a planner that has the proper space for you to set and plan your goals and then schedule them into your day.
(There are not a lot of planners that do this, I know I’ve spent way too much time looking, so if you are struggling to find one that does, check out mine here. It also has space for you to organize the rest of your life, because thats important too!)
A very smart lady by the name of Mel Robbins taught me that procrastination is a form of stress release (mind blown!) so if none of these the things I’ve talked about are causing your struggle, you might consider what your subconscious is trying to tell you. Do you need more time to rest and relax? Or a better activity to release stress? Or is there something about the goal that is giving you anxiety?
Any questions? Comment below!
I hope I’ve helped you identify your problem today and in case you have any doubts,
YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Jennifer
Need some extra help or motivation to achieve your goals? Join my Facebook group Organized for Success where you will find a ton of free tips and tricks to help you get your to-do list done, find time for yourself and reach your goals, as well as an awesome group of ambitious, like minded people just like you there to support you along the way.
Organized Owl 