9 Tips for Sharpening Your Focus and Concentration

It’s the middle of the workday, and you keep catching yourself staring out the window, checking your social media, or daydreaming. You should be working on your big project, but it seems you have no energy or brain power left in your tank. The minutes tick away, yet you get no closer to a finish line.

​At times like these, you could use some handy focus mindset guidelines in your arsenal of success tools. Don’t waste another minute. Start implementing these tips today to sharpen your focus and get things done.

Success can reignite your concentration, but it depends on your view of success. If you make success dependent on future events—losing 20 pounds, getting a promotion—you’re less likely to maintain your long-term focus on pursuing your goals.

Whether you want to start your own company or make a million dollars, achieving goals takes repetition. Repetition can get dull, making your dream lose its shine. Those who love the process, not the event, can better stay the course on the journey to their long-term goals.

You might not love working your 8-5 job every day. But if you have a goal, say, to work and save so you can travel more using the money you earn from that job, you’re better able to love the process of earning towards your goals.

​Apply this to anything you do. Remember, repetitive actions (the process) get you to your goals.

Mindfulness and meditation practices help train your brain to focus on the here and now. You avoid getting distracted and consumed by the thousand other things in your life, like this afternoon’s meeting or the school function you need to get your child to.

​Check out mindset books to read for focus, such as “NO B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs” by Dan Kennedy or Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.” Listen to free podcasts on mindfulness and meditation, and take advantage of apps that help you re-center your attention.

Your body needs a few very fundamental things to perform at its best—sleep, exercise, and nutritious food.

​Poor quality of any of these three fundamentals can lead to poor quality output from your body, especially over time. Give your body the fundamental things it needs to work well. You’ll have an easier time concentrating on your daily tasks when you do.

I heard billionaire entrepreneur Warren Buffet created this tip. He told his employees to write down 25 things they wanted to achieve. These could be long-term career goals, extremely short-term daily goals, or something in between.

Next, Buffet had his employees look over their lists and circle the top five most important goals.

​He told his employees to “avoid at all costs” anything that didn’t make the top five. They are time thieves. While they may be necessary, they don’t move you to where you want to be. Think of a way technology or others can help you check off those 20 other to-do items without you having to spend time on them.

Pick an action or activity that moves you closer to your goal. Make that activity an absolute non-negotiable priority that day. No matter what else has to fall to the wayside, you must do this one thing. You can add as many other tasks as possible to your schedule, but this one takes center stage.

There’s no changing the 24 hours you have available every day. However, you have more flexibility and power over the energy you possess to get things done.

Schedule tasks that need your ultimate brain power, creativity, and attention during the time(s) when you typically fire on all cylinders. That time may be first thing in the morning before life starts life-ing with you (calling your attention to other things).

​If you’re unsure of your best, most energetic time of day, play around with different schedules until you find the one that works best with your body’s natural rhythms. Another push for prioritizing your wellness: eat, exercise, and sleep for energy.

…until later in the morning (You didn’t think I meant “at all,” did you?)

Emails, texts, and other messages—these things, while important, are time thieves. They get you into a reactive mode, doing things for others instead of prioritizing your needs.

​Turn off notifications. Leave your phone in another room, if you must. Get well on your way to accomplishing your one priority and “Top 5” first. Then, answer those messages.

If a task seems overwhelming, break it down into smaller chunks. For example, let’s say you need to work on a proposal but don’t know where to start. Your first goal could be to research what goes into a good proposal.

​Next, block your time off so that you work on one thing at a time. But don’t give yourself the whole day to finish. Allow yourself what you think is sufficient time. Back to that proposal as an example: give yourself 25–45 minutes to research what goes into a good proposal. At that point, you must stop collecting information and start a new action.

Reward yourself for your concentrated efforts by taking little time outs after your time blocks. Stretch. Move your eyes off the computer screen. Walk. Get some fresh air, brief exercise, or water for five minutes.

Brief moments of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation can help you return to your work with greater focus, energy, and ideas.

​If you get stuck and feel like you’re proverbially banging your head against the wall, there’s no greater time to pause. Taking a break could be just what you need to have that breakthrough.

Where your focus goes, your energy flows. You want your best focus and energy on things that get you closer to your most meaningful goals.

Are you ready to set meaningful goals for your life and achieve them? A Secrets of Success Mastermind Membership can offer a transformative experience with an exclusive community to help you create a purposeful and fulfilling life.

Join us as we unlock our destinies and align our actions with our deepest purposes. Dive deeper into a focused mindset and start living the life you deserve to lead.

​Take the next step to learn more and join Secrets of Success today.