-- J.D. Meier
Focus is the key to success for many people. I put together proven practices for how to focus in a comprehensive set of “Focus Guidelines”.
One of my mentors, a seasoned manager, once told me that the difference that makes the difference – why some people succeed and others do not – is focus. Those that lack focus spread themselves too thin, or never finish what they start. They have a lot of dreams, ambition, and ideas but they never spend enough time working on any one thing to make it happen. On the flip side, those with focus, know what they want to accomplish, and they apply concentrated effort, and see it through to completion. They also focus on less, yet achieve more.
I set out to nail a set of proven practices that could help anybody improve their ability to focus. I gave myself a timebox of four hours to see what I could put together for a v1 release. I sanity checked the results with a few folks that said it very much echoed what they thought were the keys to improving focus, so now I’m sharing with a broader audience. (If you’re wondering why I gave myself a timebox of four hours for this it was to help me focus Winking smile Focus is a complex topic and deserves attention, but I also have other priorities I’m working on. I was willing to spend 2 hours Saturday and 2 hours Sunday to chip away at this stone, if it could help the greater good to have a robust set of practices that actually work for achieving the highest levels of focus. I expect my four hour investment to help many others get exponential results and help them take their game to a new level, by expanding their mental toolbox. Even if that’s not the case, spending four hours to work on such a key cross-cutting skill for life is still a good investment.)
These practices are time-tested and Softie approved. As you can imagine, with all the bright and shiny objects that go flying around, it takes skill and discipline to stay focused. The beauty though is that if you know the key strategies and tactics for improving your focus, then it actually gets a lot easier to focus where it counts and enjoy the ride.
What Works Against Focus:
1) Conflict, confusion, and chaos.
2) Internal distractions.
3) External distractions.
4) Mental chatter.
5) Lack of vision or clarity.
6) Lack of discipline.
7) Lack of structure.
8) Lack of progress.
Key Strategies for Focus :
1) Get clear on what you want.
2) Start with your “why.”'
3) Align your focus and your values.'
4) Use time frames to scope your focus.
5) Expand your attention span.
6) Use 20-minute intervals to focus with skill.
7) Reduce distractions.
8) Spend your attention with skill.
9) Structure for success'.
10) Chart your progress.
Guidelines at a Glance for Improving Focus:
One of my mentors, a seasoned manager, once told me that the difference that makes the difference – why some people succeed and others do not – is focus. Those that lack focus spread themselves too thin, or never finish what they start. They have a lot of dreams, ambition, and ideas but they never spend enough time working on any one thing to make it happen. On the flip side, those with focus, know what they want to accomplish, and they apply concentrated effort, and see it through to completion. They also focus on less, yet achieve more.
I set out to nail a set of proven practices that could help anybody improve their ability to focus. I gave myself a timebox of four hours to see what I could put together for a v1 release. I sanity checked the results with a few folks that said it very much echoed what they thought were the keys to improving focus, so now I’m sharing with a broader audience. (If you’re wondering why I gave myself a timebox of four hours for this it was to help me focus Winking smile Focus is a complex topic and deserves attention, but I also have other priorities I’m working on. I was willing to spend 2 hours Saturday and 2 hours Sunday to chip away at this stone, if it could help the greater good to have a robust set of practices that actually work for achieving the highest levels of focus. I expect my four hour investment to help many others get exponential results and help them take their game to a new level, by expanding their mental toolbox. Even if that’s not the case, spending four hours to work on such a key cross-cutting skill for life is still a good investment.)
These practices are time-tested and Softie approved. As you can imagine, with all the bright and shiny objects that go flying around, it takes skill and discipline to stay focused. The beauty though is that if you know the key strategies and tactics for improving your focus, then it actually gets a lot easier to focus where it counts and enjoy the ride.
What Works Against Focus:
1) Conflict, confusion, and chaos.
2) Internal distractions.
3) External distractions.
4) Mental chatter.
5) Lack of vision or clarity.
6) Lack of discipline.
7) Lack of structure.
8) Lack of progress.
Key Strategies for Focus :
1) Get clear on what you want.
2) Start with your “why.”'
3) Align your focus and your values.'
4) Use time frames to scope your focus.
5) Expand your attention span.
6) Use 20-minute intervals to focus with skill.
7) Reduce distractions.
8) Spend your attention with skill.
9) Structure for success'.
10) Chart your progress.
Guidelines at a Glance for Improving Focus:
1) Apply concentrated effort.
2) Ask yourself, “What are you rushing through for?”
3) Clear away external & internal distractions.
4) Create routines to help you focus.
5) Use the Rule of Three. Simply identify three goals for the day, three goals for the week, three goals for the month, and three goals for the year. When you read a book, to stay focused, simply look for three take aways you can turn into action. If you’re in a meeting, look for three take aways.The Rule of Three can help you focus in just about any scenario.