5 Ways to Create Focus and Be More Productive in Your Business

[content field=”callout1″ format=”true” class=”calloutwide”] Spending a set amount of time focusing on one activity to see it through to completion may seem boring, but I guarantee you that the outcome is not. The outcome is progress, which is something we all strive for.

If I had a nickel for every business owner that says they aren’t good at focus, I’d have a heaping cup full and I’d be playing the nickel slots at the local casino. Focus is a skill you have to learn. If you’re not naturally good at it, which most of us entrepreneurial types aren’t, then you have to hone the skill.

Did you know……. every time you lose focus on an activity it takes you ten minutes to fully re-engage? Do the math. If you do that six times a day, you’ve lost an hour of productive time. How many of you think that you do that more than six times a day? Yeah, I thought so.

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Focus is a habit of the all successful people. It’s a must have / must do. It really isn’t up for debate. So, the question is, how do you become good at focusing? Here are my top five tips:

1. Implement focus hours: I always suggest starting with one hour per day, and build up to two. Turn off all electronics that aren’t necessary for your task, and focus on one key project during that hour.
2. Avoid multi-tasking where possible: I’m not one of these people that thinks we should eliminate multi-tasking altogether; it just isn’t possible. But so much multi-tasking isn’t necessary. Stick with one thing, see it through, and then check email or social media once you’re finished.
3. Get rid of unnecessary distractions: Remove notifications for email and social media; put your phone on do-not-disturb; put a sign on your door. Anything it takes.
4. Re-train the people around you: We train people how to connect and communicate with us; if it’s too frequent or too distracting, re-train them.
5. Group similar tasks together: If you’re bouncing around from one type of activity to another, it’s a focus killer. Group similar tasks together – for example, all marketing tasks, or all sales-related tasks – to maximize your energy and brainpower.

By putting practices in place that force you to learn to focus, before long it will become second nature and you’ll start to see more time available for other activities. Your work will improve, your business will improve and your life will improve. Give it a shot and let us know in the comments if these tips help!