Its really easy to lose focus when you have a busy work life and a family and have a whole world of distractions in your pocket courtesy of your smart phone

How many times have you gone to bed exhausted but wondering what you actually accomplished that day?

To stop feeling like that and get back on track you need to improve your ability to focus.

Confucius Says… There’s a famous quote about focus by the great philosopher Confucius: “If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.” True, there might be people who are able to multitask and do it relatively well; but more often than not, people who split their attention between two different tasks have a more difficult time completing both tasks well.

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Here are my favourite five ways to regain your focus and get back on track:

1 |     Ditch the distractions

Get rid of the things stopping you from getting things done – it’s that simple! Forget about checking email every five minutes they will still be there when you complete your task. Make a list of distractions and eliminate them!

•     Turn off the phone and let the voice mail take over.
•     Close the blinds in your office.
•     Turn off the music if you find yourself singing more than working.
•     Simply closing the door to your office can give you more privacy and more focus.

2 |     Prioritize your work

Rather than working on projects simultaneously, take one thing at a time, focus on it, and worry about all the other stuff later. You’ll get a lot more done and it will be a higher quality.

•    Find a way to prioritize that works best for you. Choose either the project that has the earliest deadline or the one with the least components so you can finish it quickly and get it out of the way. There are pros and cons to both systems so tackle it whichever way works for you.

3 |     Tell everyone to respect your time

There are lots of respectful ways to tell people to give you some space. If you’re finding yourself pushed for time and can’t seem to get away from others, let them know that you need time to finish some important tasks. There are a lot of different ways to do it and if it seems uncomfortable to do that, practice what you are going to say then give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve done it for valuing your time.

•     Set times that you’ll accept phone calls and even visitors. Tell them to contact you by email and then set a regular time to check your email.

•     Set business hours during which people can expect you to return their calls or emails.

The internet is awesome but it can be a huge time waster, especially if you work at a computer all day long. Regain your focus with some self-imposed rules.

•     First, close all those windows you’re not using. Avoid Twitter or Facebook or your social media platform of choice like the plague!!

•     Establish certain times each day to use these fun things and just focus on what you have to do. You’ll quickly accomplish more!

This may seem like a really small thing when it comes to focusing and getting back on task, but believing that you can get everything done that you set out to do puts you in a positive frame of mind and you’ll be less distracted with stress and worry.

•     Have confidence that you can complete each task with ease and believe in your ability to deliver. If you’ll just have the confidence, you’re sure to have the focus!

Now that I’ve given you five ways to focus and get back on task, it’s up to you to take action and learn how to focus your thoughts. If you’ve got to get stuff done, follow these steps so you can put yourself – and your goals – first!

Scroll to the bottom of the page and leave me a comment to tell me what you are going to start doing to have more focus and get more done!!