How To Focus - Some Simple Tips

For many people, the desire to focus better and get things done overwhelms everything else. Yet when they get right down to it, the same people find it easy to be distracted and do not implement effective methods to boost focus. The key, then, is to identify simple tips that will show you how to focus better.

1. Know What Matters

The specific details will differ from one person to another. But all of us care about something. By deciding which are these important areas, you can select the right things to focus upon.

2. Choose Important Tasks

Every morning, select 2 tasks that you will finish by the end of the day. These tasks will fall into categories that are important to you. You have already identified them in the previous step, by deciding what matters most to you. Now when you get these 2 tasks done, you will be moving towards your important goals.

3. Get Things Done

You've chosen two tasks to complete. The next goal is to actually complete them. There is no point in just drawing up lists of things to do if you do not take follow up action and finish the tasks. So make that your highest priority. Get them done as early in the day as possible.

4. Put Off Distractions

Several things are interesting. You will constantly be tempted to try other things that you enjoy doing. But resist the temptation at least until you finish the two important tasks for the day. Once you get into the habit of resisting distractions, your focus will automatically improve and you will get more work done.

5. Stop Multitasking

Maybe you are used to talking on the phone while typing on your computer and simultaneously taking notes. Or maybe you try to cram an important conference call into the time you're doing the cooking while also keeping an eye on your son's homework. Stop multitasking. It makes you less effective. And it worsens your focus. Instead, concentrate fully on one of the tasks. Get it done. Then turn your attention to the next one. This way, you will finish more work in less time.

6. Slow Down

Hurrying through tasks is a surefire way to make mistakes or get things wrong. When you do that, you'll have to repeat the task. That takes longer. And it is also more effort-intensive. If you go about your tasks methodically and slowly, you will complete it faster and with fewer mistakes.

These simple steps will improve your ability to focus and make you more efficient. Soon the improved focus will become a habit and your effectiveness will skyrocket.

Source 

5 Tips from Billionaires to Help Achieve High Productivity

There are a ton of viral articles out there that are about “habits of millionaires” or“habits of successful people.”

Quite frankly, they are a bit plain and overdone.


5 Billionaire’s Tips to Achieve High Productivity

This advice comes directly from dozens of interviews and books by billionaires I have consumed. I decided to get advice from only the best of the best.

Here are 5 tips from billionaires on how to achieve high productivity:

1. Keep Your Calendar Simple

Keep your calendar clear and organized. Rather than having hundreds of complicated tasks on there, simplify it to the most important. Drop the rest.

The average person has many low-priority tasks that distract them on their calendar. It’s not a good idea to stuff your calendar with a thousand, small random tasks.

Warren Buffett has mentioned this many times in interviews.

Bill Gates has remarked about how amazing this is after learning it from Warren. Bill has used it himself since then.


2. Do What’s Most Important First

Your most important task should be done first when you start the day.

Average people fill their day with unimportant tasks. The start of their day is filled with tasks that could have gone undone and had minimal impact.

By the end of the day, their most important tasks are still incomplete and often pushed off until tomorrow. This leads to further procrastination and small results.

They were busy but not effective or impactful. You don’t want to be the person who does busywork to look busy rather than strategic, smart work.

Warren Buffett’s pilot, Mike Flint, learned this lesson after talking to Buffett.


Mike learned that the biggest threat to finishing the #1 most important task on your list is #2, #3, #4, #5, and so on. Throw out the other tasks until you finish #1.


3. Delegate Lower Priority Tasks

If your time is worth $50 an hour, every hour you waste doing tasks that can be outsourced for much less is a waste of time.

Do you know why billionaires don’t shop for groceries or cook themselves?

Part of the reason is because they can afford to. But according to billionaires like Richard Branson, part of the reason is because it’s an inefficient use of their time.

According to the book 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, failing to delegate low cost tasks can cost you tons of money.

If your time is worth $1000 an hour, you shouldn’t spend an hour a week buying groceries because you can get the same result in less time and earn more money.

Pay someone $20 an hour to do it for you and spend that time you bought back working. You have now earned $980 after expenses rather than losing an hour doing it yourself without earning anything.

OK, so you might not be making as much as $1000 an hour. But the same thought process can apply to how you spend your time. If your time is worth $25 an hour, how much time are you wasting at work and at home goofing off? 

4. Find Your Peak Performance Environment

People are different. Your most productive environment may be different from someone else’s.

Look for what time of day and what type of surroundings are you most productive in.
For example, some people find that they do the most creative work in loud, crowded coffee shops. Others prefer complete, isolated silence. Some people are most alert and focused in the mornings, while others do better late at night.

Build your environment and schedule to fit your optimal levels of performance.


5. Plan Out What You Will Do

According to the book, top performing billionaires plan out what they will do next ahead of time.

Plan out what you will do tomorrow and the next week. You can save hours of time by working more efficiently from the plans you made.

Without proper planning, your disorganization will cost you efficient moments of optimal workflow.

You’ll be confused and unsure of what to do. You’ll spend extra time trying to figure out what’s more important. You will be dazzled if you get interrupted and unsure where to resume.


Conclusion

There should be no excuses. Anyone is capable of turning these productivity tips into habits. I think the reasons people don’t are the lack of awareness and laziness.

Remember to keep your calendar simple, do what’s most important first, delegate lower priority tasks, find your best environment, and plan out what you will do next.
Are you as productive as a billionaire? Leave a comment below.

Source