Want to Build Your Concierge Business? 6 Tips to Keep You Focused
Wow! Here’s a scary statistic for you:
50% of Americans say they only work for 15 minutes before becoming distracted.
Or…how ‘bout this one?
53% say they waste an hour or more of work time each day because of disruptions.
It’s all too common for even the most dedicated and committed of us to lose focus during our work day. Constant noise, unending emails, demands from family members, lack of sleep—almost anything can cause us to lose focus. And when you lose focus your business stagnates.
Here are 6 tips for focusing your attention like a laser during your workday:
1) Diagnose your triggers. What causes you to lose focus? For me it’s fatigue, so even though I’m definitely a night owl I force myself to get at least 8 hours of sleep before a busy day. Maybe for you it’s hunger or a Facebook addiction. Figure out what causes you to lose focus and conquer the beast.
2) Plan ahead. It’s key that you write down everything you need to accomplish the night before your workday. I write it all down—then put asterisks next to the 5 things I need to accomplish before 5pm the next day. A master list, with noted priorities keeps me on track.
3) 60% of interruptions at work come from being wired—email, cell phone, the internet, social networks. Sometimes it’s just best to shut it all done and focus on the task at hand. Try setting a limit for how often you check your email. For me that’s once an hour. [and it’s really difficult]
4) Break it down. Sitting down to work on one huge project can be overwhelming. Split up the massive, complicated ones into small manageable pieces so they’re easier to accomplish and you’ll see progress quickly.
5) Set a time limit and then move on. Try this tip with any ongoing mundane tasks. Pay bills from 1-2…then stop. Respond to non-essential emails from 2-2:30…then stop. File paperwork from 2:30-3:15…then stop. Short bursts of hard work can be a far more productive use of your time than knuckling down and powering your way through hours of grind it out, mind-numbing work.
6) Wear headphones. Don’t laugh. It’s my cue to family members and employees that I’m concentrating and only talk to me if it’s a life and death emergency.
Learning to focus your attention requires practice and training. So–no time like the present!