Focus Grasshopper! 3 Tips on Maintaining Focus

Have you ever thought about how to create and maintain focus? Then read on!

As part of my coaching business, I have weekly accountability calls with groups of clients to get an update on progress, challenges and sharing of best practices with each other. I was on a check-in call recently and several of my clients mentioned that the one thing that would make the biggest difference for them in their week would be to be focused.

Have you ever thought about how to create and maintain focus? If so, what are the techniques that you use to keep focused on the most important tasks?

Highlighted below are a few powerful techniques that I have found helpful in my own practice of focus.

1. BE Focus: Get into the feeling place of BE-ing focused. We all have activities that we do every single day that we don’t have to consciously decide to be focused, yet we are. Typically these are the things that we love to do and we do them effortlessly. An example; if you love to read the newspaper on Sunday morning, that is a focused activity that has a specific feeling resonance to it. To “BE Focus” take a few minutes to create the same feeling in your body anytime that you want to be focused on a particular task or activity. Remember practice makes perfect.

2. Set Anchor:  Anchoring is a powerful way to not only be focused but to be present. In short, it is a process to create a response or a memory by using a stimulus (anchor) to activate thought. Read all about anchoring here.

To set an anchor, associate an object with a response. For example, just tell yourself, “Every time I see or touch ‘x’ I am going to do or think ‘y’.” I use my phone, door handles and drawers, my steering wheel and even web sites (you know the ones we love to get distracted by) to “wake” myself back into consciousness and get back to the task at hand. Again, it takes time and repetition, but over time the results are powerful.

3. Remind Me:  Almost everyone has an alarm, a reminder app, Siri or some other device on their phone, wristwatch or computer that can be set to chime several times a day. Using bells, whistles and chimes to realign can be a great way to get back on track especially if you have a tendency to go from one distraction to another to another. A few months ago I wanted to increase my daily water intake. I simply set a reminder three times a day/night that said H2O. It worked great and now I am back on track with consistent water intake.

Here are a few additional ideas that may be better suited to you:
• Wear a rubber band on your wrist for when you are off track, snap the rubber band
• Post-it notes in your office, car and/or home
• Do Pomodoros
• Turn off distractions like email, social media alerts and your cell phone
• Time block for each specific task

If you have other ideas, I would love to hear them. Please share them with me and others in the comment box below.

Happy Focusing, Grasshopper!