The ability to focus on an important task is not an easy one to master.
But practice these strategies to help you boost your ability to focus and you’ll find yourself able to stay engaged and centered on what needs to be done for longer.
What effective method to stay focused is to use time chunks, also known as the Pomodoro technique.
This entails picking a single task, setting a timer for 25 minutes, and committing to staying focused on that task for the duration.
When the timer is up, reward yourself with a short break, then repeats.
Every four cycles, take a longer break. If you’re seriously distractible, ease into it by using intervals as shortest 10 or 15 minutes and gradually work your way up to longer cycles.
The type of breaks you take when time chunking are important too.
Go get a cup of coffee, take a walk or chat with a friend, rather than scrolling through your Twitter feed.
Most importantly, getting up from your desk or workspace gives your brain a natural outlet to be unfocused, so you can get back to being focused when you return.
Another effective technique is to break a large task into small, easy to complete chunks and prioritizing those chunks based on what needs to be completed first.
Smaller pieces will make your work feel less insurmountable and give you direction on what needs to happen first.
For example, rather than having to synthesize a quarterly report, mentally split it into successive tasks, gathering data, creating graphs, reaching a conclusion.
Remember, focus is a skill. It takes time to master the ability to concentrate on one thing for extended periods of time, especially if you’re accustomed to frequent shifts and attention.
So be patient.
