5 Benefits Focus Brings to Your Life and Work

Do you multi-task? Do you know that those who multi-task are not as effective or as efficient as those who focus their efforts on one task at a time? It’s true. When you divide your efforts and your thoughts among different and differing tasks, you are doing a disservice to yourself and to the tasks you’re attempting to finish. When you’re focused, you are honing in on the completion of one task. Focus helps you give all your attention to the project in front of you. Focus also helps you complete more projects rather than having multiple projects in various stages of completion. You will feel better, happier and more motivated to work on the next task when you can cross one off your current to-do list. Let’s explore five benefits that focus will bring to your work and your life. 1. Your stress levels will plummet. When you’re focusing on more than one task at a time you will feel overwhelmed. Lack of focus makes you feel as though you have too much to do and not enough time to do it. In fact, you probably don’t have as much on your plate as you imagine, you just have too many things on your plate in various stages of completion, but you’re not checking anything off your to-do list. It’s the multiple incomplete projects that add to your stress and to your feeling of overwhelm. Focus will enhance your clarity and that will let you clearly see the path ahead and allows you to focus your efforts toward making great progress. When you’re not focused you likely feel unmotivated, frustrated and more stressed! 2. Focus enhances momentum. When you see that you’re completing items and checking them off the to-do list, you feel more motivated to keep up that forward momentum. Making progress is motivating. Seeing progress encourages you to work harder. The snowball effect of making progress is motivating! 3. You will be more engaged. If you have a vested interest in completing a specific project you will be more engaged in it. Chances are you’re not afraid of hard work, but you are fearful or tired of feeling overwhelmed. When you’re overwhelmed, you feel as though “nothing, or not much, is getting done” and that is not motivating. When you’re on a winning team – even if you’re the only one on the team! – you are more engaged in the outcome and the steps to get you there. 4. Focus helps you feel in control. When you’re focused, you are in control of the tasks in front of you and in the steps to achieve the goal. Removing distractions, whether it’s from a messy desk or from co-workers dropping by to chat or if it’s from the house that needs to be vacuumed will help you stay focused on your tasks at hand. It is easy to procrastinate and “blame” it on items “beyond your control” that includes chatting with coworkers or giving in to personal tasks that need to be done if you work from home. Give yourself the grace to understand there are sometimes distractions that are beyond your control, but those instances are likely rare. Know what distracts you and remove them from your day as much as possible. Close the office door. Tell yourself the housework can wait until you break for lunch or you are done working at the end of the day. Reward yourself for being laser focused. 5. Your attitude will change – for the better. When you’re focused you will achieve even more. When you’re positive and optimistic toward achieving your goals, your emotions will change. You will be happier, and you will meet challenges ahead of you with a smile and determination. Your smaller milestones achieved will make the culmination of the larger goals seem within reach. Focus is more important to success than you may imagine. What if your focus helped you attract more clients? If you have a lack of focus, a potential client will see that in your conversations. To be attractive to a client they need to know you are going to focus in on their needs. Clients understand they are not your only client, but they need to feel (and rightly so) that when you’re talking with them, meeting with them, and working on their project, that you are laser focused. Here are three ways in which focus will enhance your successes: 1. You will gain a higher understanding of ways to solve problems. Rather than walking away from a difficult decision or task, you will, instead, focus on a way to solve the issue in front of you. 2. You will get in touch with yourself. When you are focused you are conscientious of what you’re doing. You’re growing and gaining a deeper understanding of who you are, what you do, why you do it and more importantly how you will focus on the goal. 3. Clarity ensues. When you are focused you can better measure progress. You are focused on the goals in front of you and you have a clear way forward. The cobwebs that once clouded your thoughts because of scattered focus fall away. When you’re focused you will feel as though anything is possible – and it just might be! What actions will you take to enhance your focus, so you can be even more success...