How to stay focussed
How do you stay focussed in a every connected world, with distractions all around you ?
You wake up, you check your notifications. You get a coffee, you check your social app feeds. You then check your email. You could argue it’s like a modern days newspaper. But it’s more insidious. It’s more addictive. And it breaks your focus all day long. Meanwhile your children are trying to get your attention.
The internet is a great tool. But it also comes with many downsides. Everything is a link or a hyperlink, a feed or thing to buy. And it’s in your face all the time. You look for someone online, and you get stuck in their profile. After 10 minutes, you forgot what you were trying to do. In the meantime a hundred other ads are vying for your attention. Everyone wants a piece of you. You are more connected then ever, but also more isolated then ever.
But it hurts your productivity at work, but also at home. All the stuff you are doing, it can wait. Have a coffee, make breakfast, and look at your loved ones. Don’t use your phone until you start your work day. Don’t read email all the time while you are at work, save it for set times. Focus on the task at hand. Pick up the phone more for an actual call. Or even better, walk around to a colleague. Get a coffee. Or drop the phone and listen to your child. Be more in the moment.
Having children is my greatest achievement. It was my saviour. It switched my focus from the outside to the inside. My children are gifts, they remind me of what’s important.
That’s a great quote, and it should remind you of what’s important than anything else. And if you don’t have children, there will be other things you can focus on. A dog. A painting. Nature. It’s just an example. Work is there to support you living, not the other way around.
Bottom line is, whether you are at work or at home, minimise distraction. Be focussed like a Jedi. But focus on the right things. And with great power comes great responsibility. So drop that phone or tv show in favour of going for a walk or chat with your loved ones. And that meeting also does not need to last the whole hour.
