23 Easy Habits to Improve Focus + Get Shit Done

Knowing how to improve your focus is an essential skill in this era of information overload. We are bombarded with media, technology, entertainment, and notifications every day.

It seems there are hundreds of people and things competing for your attention at any given time. No wonder, that in the last few years, our attention spans have become shorter and our ability to focus has decreased.

Our time is valuable. Not being able to focus can have a negative effect on how successful we are at work and in our personal lives. Focus is a skill that we develop by training and practice. Productivity requires intention and strategy to help make your time work for you!

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Read: 25 Simple Ways to Free Up an Extra Hour A Day

Learn how to improve your focus, so that you can get more done in less time.

23 Habits to Improve Focus

1. Use the Pomodoro Method
2. Strengthen Your Willpower
3. Meditate
4. Track Your Time
5. Write Down Distractions
6. Batch Tasks
7. Practice Mindfulness
8. Exercise
9. Get Enough Sleep
10. Read Actively
11. Set Daily Goals
12. Make a Schedule
13. Follow a Morning Routine
14. Do the Most Important Tasks First
15. Eliminate Distractions
    1. Put Away Your Smartphone
    2. Close the Office Door
    3. Turn off Notifications on Your Laptop
    4. Put in Earplugs
16. Review Your Days and Weeks
17. Start With Small Steps to Fight Procrastination
18. Plan, How to Handle Distractions
19. Optimize Your Working Environment
    1. The Optimal Room Temperature Lies at 25℃. However, feel free to experiment and adjust according to your own preferences.
    2. Work With Natural Light.
    3. Declutter Your Desk
20. Do One Task At A Time
21. Apply The 80/20 Rule
22. Set Time Limits for Each Task to Benefit From Parkinson’s Law.
23. Use Short Breaks to Exercise or Get Some Fresh Air

The Effect of Room Temperature on Productivity

Cornell University conducted a study of office administration workers whereby their productivity positively correlated with increased office temperatures.[1] At 25℃, the workers were typing with 90% accuracy. However, with a drop of 5℃, the typing rate nose-dived along with an increased error rate of 25%. The study also identified other factors which could greatly affect productivity and focus such as air quality and pollution.

Source

Parkinson’s Law

In 1955, Cyril Northcote Parkinson, a famous British historian, management theorist, and author, claimed that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” This suggests that if you proactively give yourself time constraints, you will be able to get more work done in less time. For example, if you allow yourself a week to finish a task that should take three hours, then (psychologically) the task will expand in complexity and seem more difficult, and it will fill the entire week.

Source

Read: 4 Proven Ways to Build Habits Without Fail

Recommended Tools for Improved Focus

Be Focused

Be Focused helps you apply the pomodoro method to your work. It’s a timer, task manager and time tracker.

The Ultimate Productivity Bundle

The Ultimate Productivity Bundle contains 5 eBooks, 14 eCourses and 26 Printables for 97% off the original price. It’s the ultimate toolbox for improved focus and top-notch productivity.

I found the Personal Productivity Toolkit (eCourse) and the Brilliant Baby Steps (eCourse) to be especially helpful. 🙂

It will help you:

1. Set clear goals and priorities so you’ll use your time wisely.
2. Create productive routines so you won’t fall behind.
3. Deal with distractions instead of getting sidetracked.
4. Get started with tasks instead of procrastinating.
5. Find the energy to be productive all day instead of burning out.