Month: August 2021

In a life where we are constantly trying to focus on a hundred and one things at a time, finding time to actually focus on one thing can be nearly impossible. So how do you make sure you don’t waste time and stay focused when you need it most? How can you regain time, become more productive and feel happier with the outcome and achievements of each day?

• Create mental space for you to focus by eliminating distractors. Most certainly you will need to work on some sort of technological device, there really is no getting away from it but switch off or remove anything that may cause distractions is the best place to start. Turn the tv off (what are you doing watching TV?), put your phone on aeroplane mode when appropriate, and eliminate all banner notifications…these are all ideas to create a haven of space where you can work without being interrupted. For example, the ringer on my phone is never set to be audible. I cannot imagine being interrupted by all those rings, beeps and pings.

• Take breaks. Build in breaks. And, when your mind wanders, notice this. It might be time to get up, stretch and get a glass of a refreshing drink. Research suggests that the attention span for the average adult is between 12-20 minutes, and this undoubtedly becomes a lot less if distractions are readily available. Here’s the math: – if for every 15 minutes of focus, you spend 5 minutes scrolling through social media, you would be averaging roughly 2 hours a day of mindless scrolling. Try and make your downtime relatively quick and try to keep focus. Overtime you will be able to retrain your attention span to be able to focus for longer periods of time.

• Listen to your body and ascertain when you are most productive. This will certainly vary from person to person but as a rule, dedicating time to tasks that require a lot of mental capacity or concentration when your energy is low is not a good use of energy or focus. Examples of this are carrying out taxing tasks after eating or at the end of the day. Each morning, why not try prioritizing your task around your energy levels rather than what you need to get done? How are you feeling today? Do you have the energy to be able to carry out that tricky task? You may find that you are able to focus much better when you listen to what your body needs.

It’s inevitable, of course, that from time to time your mind will wander – after all, we are only human. You’ll find yourself asking: What are we having for dinner? What plans have we got for the weekend? Do I need to get the dog into the vet next week? And, so the wandering continues but what is the difference between your wandering mind and allowing flow? It’s safe to say that some of the best ideas were born from flowing minds and might just be the key to unlocking your true potential. Your mind will wander when you are feeling tired or bored, almost like it has an off switch for the task in hand. However, allowing flow comes back to listening to your energy levels and adapting your schedule to how you’re feeling. It is also closely related to feeling of happiness, increased performance, creativity, and engagement and may be the start of some of your best work.

They say practice makes perfect right? Don’t create this for yourself…be ok with just being good enough. Practice makes comfortable. When our brain and body is comfortable with a routine that serves us, that routine becomes part of our homeostasis and we “Auto-Magically” improve our situation. Retraining ourselves to focus is like anything – in order to be efficient, we must practice. Making small changes like the ones suggested above will have a huge impact on our focus, productivity, life balance and overall happiness. It’s progressive, so remember to take baby steps until you conquer each one and before you know it, you will have created life lasting habits that will make you feel happier and set you on the right path to achieving your goals! Yippee!.

We talk about the work-life balance. So, why is it so hard to come by? How do we get to a point where we feel we are working to live and not living to work?

You can read every post out there about optimizing your time, creating a life full of variety, and living life to its true potential but still find yourself in a place where you haven’t found balance, it’s frustrating right? So, what can you do?

• Reorganize your schedule with YOU as the priority! After a lifetime of putting others first, this will seem counterintuitive. And what I know, most recently from the last Streamline Your Success Group Partipants, that oddly…their own self-focus actually SIGNIFICANTLY improved the outcome of those they were choosing to help. Far too often we prioritize things that aren’t self-care, such as work, house chores, etc. Putting YOU at the top of the list means that the hour that you plot of workout, to read a few pages of your favorite book or catch up on the latest episode of whatever you’re watching on Netflix doesn’t get bumped to the bottom of the list.
• Overestimating the time it will take you to do each task will create time to get a cup of coffee or otherwise have the breathing room needed between meetings. The constant switch from task to task can leave you feeling exhausted not only physically but mentally. And when you have AD/HD you will not even notice this, often, until you are “flat on the floor” – because that switch tasking gets you Dopamine Highs that are super fun! So….do it a bit…then force yourself to breathe/mini-mediate. I promise you…it’s a game changer.
• Manage your mind – address how you’re feeling. PAY ATTENTION to your energy. Feelings of an “unbalanced” life can often come as a result of pushing ourselves to thrive when we have no energy or nothing left to give. When your body tells you to rest, rest. When you need time out, take time out. Becoming emotionally intelligent will allow you to enhance your balance.
• Practice saying no in front of the mirror each day. Imagine that! Saying no – probably one of the hardest words to say but when it comes to your own wellbeing, sometimes it just has to be said. Setting boundaries with those around you will allow you to regain the balance what you are searching for.
• Work smarter, not harder. Have you ever considered delegating and not taking everything on your own plate? Let someone else take the load and trust them to deliver – you might be surprised.

Do you ever simply observe people? With the busy lives we lead, we’ve become addicted to “doing doing doing” and always being on the go – it’s a hard cycle to break. I should know, I’m REALLY GOOD at being busy. It’s a Full On Effort to “rest.” Yup. And, needed. I have many years of Overdoing things to prove it.  To turn this around,  the first step is to Schedule Relaxing. Not easy for the Overachievers, I know this….and….again…it’s 100% critical. When you do this, you are then able to truly reflect on what’s important in your life and make it happen. I get concerned when a client tells me s/he does not have fun; does not have Things S/he enjoyes. We must find fulfillment on our own terms. That said, go easy on yourself. If all there is…is work, family, and spirituality…well that’s a good start. As you begin to learn more about yourself, you will try new things and discover who you are inside and what lights you up from the inside out. Taking charge of your balance and making what you want happen should be top of your priority list.

The line that runs between joy and productivity is mighty fine but if you play your cards right, you could be onto a real winner. At the end of each day, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve achieved. NOTE: Many of my clients avoid this like the plague. Their Naysayer does not want to hear it…they have a feeling of “not good enough” so they avoid any perception of “negative. What did you enjoy? What went well? Not as well? What will you do differently tomorrow? When done regularly, self-reflection is a very empowering process; it’s not a “you screwed up again” voice. **Take that in**. It can help you to make sense of your day; to come to decisions, to set a course of action; to step away from your habitual way of doing and thinking and discover new freedoms and opportunities.