the power of focus, part II - concentration
July 30th, 2007 | Published in Uncategorized
In May we posted about the power of focus. Our two nuggets of wisdom were as follows:
- Block out an hour of distraction-free time to work on your point of emphasis as early as possible in the day. This means not answering the phone or email. For some of you this may mean working from home for an hour or somehow getting away from a place where people can find you.
- Write your point of emphasis on a sticky note and leave it around your work area. When you are distracted by another project, call or email, the note will remind you to re-focus on your point of emphasis. After an interruption, if you find yourself asking “what should I do next,” hopefully the sticky note will answer that question.
Check out the productivity blog lifehack.org for additional tips on how to sharpen your concentration this week and get the most out of your week. For example:
What you put into your body affects the way you concentrate. Nobody would expect peak performance if they showed up drunk to work. But if you allow yourself to get chronic sleep deprivation, overuse stimulants like caffeine or eat dense, fatty foods your concentration will suffer. Try to cut out one of your unhealthy habits for just thirty days to see if there is a difference in your energy levels. I’ve found even small steps can create dramatic changes in my ability to focus.
If you have any additional advice let us hear it in the comments. - IM