By Merrilee Kittelstad
Some days we come to work and simply don’t feel like working. Sound familiar? And then there are those other days when we feel on top of the world. Maybe we’ve landed a big sale, solved a difficult problem, saved the company some money or even saved a life. No matter what business you’re in, there will always be good days and bad. What I find interesting is how our moods can change with the weather, so to speak—how we can go from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’ and back again on any given day at the office.
But while feelings may seem fickle, it helps to remember that the laws of the universe apply in the workplace too. There is perhaps nothing truer than the phrase, “We always get what we deserve.” If we show up at our job, give our respective tasks our full attention and work with focus, we accomplish amazing things. Working with focus is completely different from working hard, however. Working hard involves expending a lot of energy, while working with focus means harnessing that energy to a particular outcome.
So how do you stay focused in today’s work environment? How do you filter out everyday distractions and interruptions? Here are a few tips to help you get started:
• Ignore Distractions. Distractions are not things that happen around us; distractions are things we choose to focus on instead of the task at hand. It really is as simple as choosing what is worth our time and attention.
• Set Achievable Goals! This can be as simple as “I am going to accomplish task #1, task #2, and task #3, and then I’m going to take a break.” Be realistic about what you can accomplish, and you’re likely to be less stressed and more productive.
• Reward Success. Always reward yourself for accomplishing even the smallest task.
• Remember to Visualize. What we focus on, we draw to us. As we take baby steps and successfully focus, accomplishing tasks gets easier and easier. It’s like any other skill—the more we use it, the better we get.
Don’t misunderstand—I’m all for hard work, if that’s what you’re into. But if you want results, if you want to finish tasks quickly and efficiently, if you want to excel, try working half as hard with twice the focus. You’ll be amazed at the results!
