Tony Robbins said, “Your life is controlled by what you focus on.”
There are seasons in the year when employees seem to lose focus. Everyone I have spoken with is feeling drained by the increasing workload pressures.
Have you ever considered that focus and attention are resources? When you are focused at work, you are more productive. We use the resource of focus when our actions match our goals.
Research has proven that multitasking is ineffective. When our attention is diverted, it takes us longer to refocus. Are you a procrastinator? Procrastination is the art of doing something in favor of
something more substantial. We are very good at convincing ourselves that procrastination activity is vital. But, unfortunately, procrastination steals our gains and success away.
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.” Zig Ziglar
Loss of Focus:
- You are tired, and sleep deprivation slows down your reactions and makes it more difficult to concentrate
- We are discouraged with a project.
- The project might be taking longer than we thought
- The project might be stalled or at a standstill.
- Are you endlessly scrolling through social media and wasting time?
- We have too many tasks, and you feel overwhelmed.
- You are waiting for a promotion that continues to be delayed.
- You might fear failure – you fear looking foolish, or you don’t realize your potential.
- What opportunities have you passed up because fear held you back?
- I recall more than once that I didn’t seize an opportunity because I didn’t believe in myself enough. It might have included moving away,
- Self-doubt is the most significant reason most people don’t Seize an opportunity is a self-doubt.
We have all experienced times of distraction.
Tips to help you regain your focus:
- Start each morning with exercise.
- Take scheduled breaks (go for a walk, get a drink of water)
- Prioritize your tasks.
- Talk to your boss/supervisor to see if you can transfer some of the duties to another team member.
- Get more sleep
- Improve your diet.
- Eliminate pointless distractions – turn off notifications from apps on your phone.
- Set small daily goals.
Mastering your focus takes work. When you properly fuel and stimulate your brain and eliminate distractions, you can master your brain and increase your focus.
Contributed by Cheryl Viola, Executive Director & CEO, MBA