blog about it

Okay, everything is in place. Your computer is on in the right program, your glass of water is cool, and your fingers are all warmed up. What’s the first thing you think of?

If the first thing that crosses your mind, is the endpoint, then you might be missing the good parts of work. The best way to do a job is to focus on the process of doing it. When I sit down with a project, I think about how I’m going to do my best work.

How Do I get Focused?

One of the biggest things that you can do to help your focus is to work in a job you really like. It can help your focus immeasurably, to have to be mentally present with work that you enjoy. And laying that aside, here are some practices I’ve put in place to be more focused.

• Meditate – There are many good variations on meditation. For work I simply need to give my thoughts space, and then turn down their volume
• Write in your journal – Writing in the mornings, lets my thoughts out by recording them on paper, making it easier for me to understand what they’re saying to me and to quiet them
• Get proper rest – to be alert. You know, a sluggish mind is less able to remain focused
• Get proper nourishment – hunger pangs don’t last forever but they can pull your attention
• Be prepared to work – having all your tools at hand means you don’t have to search for basics
• Make room for work thoughts – keep something handy so that when you have thoughts that demand airing, write them down and promise to return to them later

What are the Benefits of Good Focus?

First, what is focus? For our purpose, focus is the dedicated concentration on a particular assignment. It is achieved when you’re mentally present with your work, and these are some of the benefits you can expect:

• You can actually attract related thoughts
• You’re generally working more efficiently
• You may discover good parts about jobs you don’t like
• Better work improves your confidence
• You get to enjoy doing your work as you move through tasks smoothly and in a relaxed manner

A Caveat

It sounds good right? Easy? If you’re anything like me, that’s a lot of work. It takes serious effort to quiet my thoughts at times. In the evenings when I can’t shut off the work I want to get done, it cuts into my rest time. There’s balance to be achieved for this to work.

And you may fall out of balance from time to time—I do. There’s my plan, and then there’s my life—sometimes they clash. Be ready to return to your practice, how ever you set it up, and begin again. It does get easier.

How do you get and remain focused, and get present, in the moment, with your work? What happens when you’re working on a project that you don’t care for? Do you have a plan to stay focused to the end?