Four Things That Help Me Stay Focused

Simple actions that are extremely effective

I teach Finance at a University and often work from home when I am not teaching. This is when I am most susceptible to distractions like food breaks, doing laundry, watching television, and picking up my phone to “quickly check on something.”

To stay focused I have tried a multitude of techniques. I have found four that work really well for me. Each has merit, but I am at my best when I use them all simultaneously.

Below, I outline four simple things that have proven to reduce distraction and have led to more production in my work and I hope they will help you as well.

Before you get started, be sure to set up an expectation of the total time you want to work on the activity and what items you want to work on during that time. This way, you will not feel tempted to break until you reach this predetermined time commitment.

For example, state that you want to work on research for a total of 3.0 hours. This will set clear expectations for yourself.

This seems obvious, but it’s often ignored. If working from home, isolating yourself from music, television or other people is key to staying focused. You should find a room where you can keep the door closed, head to a library, or otherwise find a space without foot traffic.

If you work in an office setting, this will be more challenging. Close your door if you have an office. Find a conference room if possible. If you work out in the open, then try your best to let others know that you are working on something that needs focus.

Find the do not disturb function on your phone and turn off your email on your laptop. This is a critical step in the process. Removing the temptation to respond to anything during your focus time will help you tremendously.

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