3 ways to instantly increase your focus
Motivation is like catching butterflies. Even if you work out what drives you now, that can change tomorrow.
Are you one of those people who can’t get down to work at your desk but whose focus turns razor sharp in the bustle of a cafe?
Your surroundings can put you into a completely different gear. Here are some ways you can adjust your environment to make you more productive, focussed and creative.
Your soundtrack:
Music: Put some music on: it may be Primal Scream or Schubert as long as you can zone out to zone in.
Atmosphere apps: Some people love apps like Coffitivity that offer listeners the sounds of various coffee shops around the world. You can enjoy all the benefits of a coffee shop, without having to pay for your ‘dry-skinny-soya-latte’. However, the app doesn’t come with service. You’ll have to get off your butt and make your own until they come up with an app for that too.
I’ve recently downloaded an app called Nature Sounds that’s improved my own focus 100%. I have a mind that spans outwards and flies around so this helps me to stay on the task. I love the sound of the roaring fire but the waterfall may well have you running for the loo.
Place:
I have a friend who’s just received an advance from a publisher for her 3rd book. The previous 2 written entirely…in bed. One of my clients, a CIO, finds he works so much more productively in the kitchen at home.
I’d just moved and had to practically burrow in and out or mounds of empty packing boxes, to access my kitchen. I discovered that my concentration was intensified when surrounded by brown card and in the absence of a huge advance from the publisher, it was just what I needed to finish the book.
Now, I’m not suggesting you live like a rabbit in a cardboard hutch but being aware of the order you need around can help you knuckle down.
Time:
So many articles suggest that in order to be productive, you need to get up before the crack of dawn. It’s got to be before 4am and not a minute later or you’ll spend all day playing catch up. However, energy is cyclical. While I agree that early mornings can be tremendously energizing, it’s not the be all and end all of a day’s focussed work.
Night owls often feel a rush of ideas or focus at midnight. There are some who even regard the hours of 2pm-6pm as their peak period for productivity.
It’s a case of personal preference. What’s yours?
So soundscape, place and time cover the environmental aspects of motivation.
Being aware of these aspects of motivation can have you feeling more in control of your actions and zipping through your ‘to do’ list in no time.
