You can only focus on one thing at a time. If you are giving your attention to multiple tasks at once you are spreading yourself too thin and producing inferior work-product. If you disagree with this statement let’s take a quick example to cement this concept. Have you ever been on the phone with someone who is watching t.v., playing on the internet or is otherwise working on something? You can tell right? Even if they deny it, you know that they are not giving you their full attention because they respond slower to your questions or answer you with “uh-huh” one too many times. Multi-tasking in the end makes projects take longer to complete, period.
Master The Details
Your brain has to switch between channels to move back and forth between the different projects or tasks that you’re working on. Each time you switch, you have a mini-delay while your brain processes information to get you back up to speed with where you were in the task. If you have enough distractions this process could take you several minutes to complete. This accounts for the sensation of losing your train of thought when writing or an inability to focus on a task after coming back from a distraction. By focusing one task at a time you are better able to handle all the requirements of a project. You are less likely to forget a step or a crucial detail. You will also get your work completed faster because you will not have to constantly make switches in your brain back to the task at hand.
The Future Will Be Better If You Focus On The Now
You cannot act in the past, you cannot act in the future, you can only act now. Regardless of how many projects you have to complete or how many fires you have to put out at any one time, you cannot be in two places at once and you cannot do anything about a problem that hasn’t happened yet. While you can set up systems to help you deal with potential problems in the future, your energy and focus needs to stay with the present. Worrying about future contingencies sucks energy from your present ability to handle and accomplish your current objectives.
Don’t Dwell In “What If’s”
Stop thinking about and letting your mental energy dwell in “recession-land.” The more you think about the recession or bad economic times the more you will actually create failing conditions for your business. You’ll subconsciously begin to sabotage your business if you continuously think about the market going down or the financial crisis on Wall Street.
You’ll start to think things like “my customer won’t buy our product because of the recession” and your actions will start to match that mentality. You will make less sales calls, you’ll lower the amount you ask people to buy or even lower the price of your goods without any real need to do so, all to keep up with the mental image you have in your brain of a slowing economy. Don’t tell yourself “no” before your customer has even heard your pitch. Let them tell you “no” and then reframe the offers to match their expectations if need be. Your first and only thought should be that you have a superior product, that is worth its price and that the customer will benefit greatly from your service or good. That’s it. Ignore the recession and press on.
Pick Your Five Things To Accomplish Each Day
Start out each day by making a list of the five most important things you need to accomplish and start working down your list. Begin on number one and do not work on number two until number one is complete. Do not open e-mail, take phone calls or engage in any other distraction while you are working on your list. If you have meetings or other interruptions, come back to your list each time you have quiet time to work. If quiet time is a problem then set up some boundaries with your employees or co-workers. Shut your door and put a sign on it saying you are in a meeting. By engaging in this process you will be able to focus completely on the ‘now” and your actions will be much more effective. If you do not finish all your five items, then just start the next day with the rest of the projects on your list and repeat the process.
Breath and Push Through Problems One Step At A Time
If a problem or fire does pop up, just mentally reframe your five most important tasks. Take the problem and place it at the number one spot. You will not be able to focus on anything until you calm your mind and put out the fire. Once extinguished, your ability to focus will return to normal and you can breath and move on with your productive day.
Lastly think of the type of life you really want to lead and look at how you are living now. Do you think that your current habits, actions and thoughts are congruent with what you want to create in your life? What can you do to bring those three things into alignment?
Once you start to change your habits, actions and thoughts, your whole life will change and you will be able to create the wealth your deserve in your life. Go to: [http://www.GlobalSuccessILG.com] to get 13 great free e-books from leaders in the personal development industry. These great books are a wonderful way to help start your learning process. Set a goal to learn one new thing a day from these books. It will change your world.