The Proactive Pro

FOCUS ON FOCUS

Most people think it would be nice to earn a living in the comfort of their homes. For one, it’s nice to be able to work in pajamas and not worry about what to wear to the office. One doesn’t need to be too concerned about the rising prices of gasoline because there’s no need to drive or commute to work. Working at home also means not having a boss breathing down your neck or a yakking supervisor when you make mistakes. And there’s virtually no need for office politics. Working affords flexibility and a lot of freedom.

But as we all know, freedom must be used responsibly. While working at home gives one a lot of freedom, it also requires a lot of discipline. Some jobs require one to meet deadlines. Others require one’s full attention and keenness to detail. Most jobs require one to be organized and methodical.

While working from home is a privilege, it can also be a challenge for some. A home-worker has to face his or her number one enemy on a daily basis — DISTRACTION. Mothers who work at home may have to deal with babies or toddlers demanding attention. Sometimes, the temptation to browse non-work related sites is so strong that one is bound to get distracted occasionally.

Here are some tips to be able to maintain your focus on the job:

1. BEGIN WITH AN END IN MIND — To be able to focus, you need a target. You need to know where to direct your attention and your efforts. Establish a routine and a set of procedures if your job is repetitious; otherwise, make a to-do list. Just know what you are supposed to accomplish and what you are supposed to do at the moment.
2. ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS IN YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT — This is self-explanatory. Make it a rule with your spouse, children and other family members that you are not to be disturbed at certain times of the day unless there’s a life-and-death situation. Also, do not work near a television. Make sure that your work environment is comfortable, noise-free and clutter-free.
3. BEAT THE CLOCK. Impose a time limit on yourself and use a countdown timer. Keep the time limit short, but realistic. Make sure that the quality of your work doesn’t suffer because of this. When you are working against a time limit, you will be forced to focus. In my case, it keeps the temptation to browse non-work-related websites at bay. I don’t take it too seriously though. Beating the clock is a game to me where my opponent is the timer. You can get yourself a good stopwatch and countdown timer for free here.
4. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, STOP — You could be overstressed. Stress could impair our ability to focus. You could do some relaxation exercises. When I find myself overwhelmed and unable to think clearly, I do an exercise that I learned from Silva Mind Control Method. I stop whatever it is that I’m doing, close my eyes, take deep breaths, and count backwards from 10 to 1. After a few moments, I count from 1 to 5, telling myself that I am wide awake and feeling better than ever. This exercise works for me, but I’m not sure if it would work for everyone. For more relaxation techniques, read this article from MayoClinic.com.

Sometimes, we really don’t need more time to do the things that we want to do. We just have to maximize the time that is available to us. We can only do that if we can focus on the things that we need to do.

If you have tips on how to be able to improve concentration and to maintain focus on the job, you are welcome to post them in the comments section. I would appreciate it very much if you could share them. ;)