Are you struggling to concentrate on tasks during the day? Do you procrastinate? Do you find yourself working late into the night and resenting the fact you didn’t work to your full potential during work hours?
I think people are lying if they say they are 100% focused all day long, and many people do struggle to maximize their productivity during a working day. With that said, I personally find working a full day is exhausting enough as it is, let alone working into your evening consecutive nights in a row. Granted that for some, the workload may be too great or there may be times you’ll need to be online a bit later, but if it’s simply because you find it hard to stay focused during the day, then try and find ways that work for you to keep the focus!
Here are my top three tips for keeping focus:
1.‘Eat the frog’
Personally, I know I get tired in the evenings so that motivates me to get the worst tasks done in the morning. I do my least favorite things first. Trust me, it’ll make you feel better for yourself and brighten your mood for the remainder of the day.
2.Stick to a day plan
Firstly write out a focused day plan the night before, with to do lists and time blocks of when you will complete each task. Not only does this help to maximize productivity, but I also find that it helps to put work out of your mind for the evening knowing that you have a solid plan the next day.
Try and mix up the tasks so you aren’t focusing on one thing for too long. Be creative and keep it fun.
Close your emails when you are doing a task. Have this conversation with your team and your manager so they are aware you won’t be online for a short while, and manage expectations. It doesn’t need to be more than an hour, but it allows you to focus and do the tasks you set out to do without being distracted.
3.Hide the distractions
As I am lucky enough to have a separate work phone, I typically put my personal phone in another room. I also delete Instagram and other social media off my phone during the week (where possible; it is a tough one and I do often crack but when I don’t, it is amazing how much work I get done!)
Give yourself regular breaks throughout the day where you allow yourself some time to watch the news, catch up on personal messages, go for a walk, go to the gym etc. This will ensure better concentration than trying to keep going all day without having personal time
No one is perfect! Don’t expect too much of yourself as it is so much easier said than done, and quite often I fail at all the above! If you can aim to implement at least a few things to help increase productivity in the day, you’ll be so grateful to have a clear evening and be pleased to know you have a more efficient plan in place!
If you need any more advice about improving your focus or you want to have a chat about finding for your next job or your next hire, please get in touch with me. I promise I’ll have my emails open!
