10 Tips for Razor Sharp Concentration
Writing to-do lists and keeping a schedule may keep you organized, but does it really help you get more done? I believe that organization is important, but what you really need is focus. Being able to sit down and concentrate intensely on your work for a few hours. Even a half hour of focused effort can get more done than an entire day of distraction and multitasking.
Here’s some tips to get into a state of deep concentration where work flows easily:
1) Cut Off the Noise
It may be obvious that distractions aren’t helping your focus, but do you actually cut them out? I’ll admit, it can be tempting to put the e-mail alerts on, turn on the IM and answer every request sent your way. But in the end it is only preventing you from concentrating.
Getting into a state of concentration can take at least fifteen minutes. If you are getting distracted every five, you can’t possibly focus entirely on your work. Answer your e-mails at scheduled times. Request that people don’t interrupt you when working on a big project. If you are required to answer phones and drop-in’s immediately, schedule work when the office is less busy.
2) Structure Your Environment
The place you work can have an impact on your ability to focus. Try to locate yourself so you are facing potential distractions such as doors, phones or windows. This way you can take a glance to assess sounds that would otherwise break your focus.
3) Clarify Objectives
Know what your goal is clearly before you start. If you aren’t sure what the end result is, the confusion will make it impossible to focus. Before I write any articles, I define the main focus of the article and get a brief mental picture of the structure. Unclear objectives often result in having to redo sections of work.
4) Divide Blobs
Big blobs of tasks that have no clear start or end point destroy focus. If you have a large project that needs work, clearly identify a path that you will use to get started working on it. If the sequence of actions isn’t obvious, it will be difficult to concentrate. Taking a few minutes to plan not only your end result, but the order you will complete any steps, can save hours in wasted thinking.
5) Know the Rules
Get clear on what the guidelines are for the task ahead. What level of quality do you need? What standards do you need to follow? What constraints are there? If you are writing a program, get clear on how much commenting you need, what functions you want to use and the flexibility required. If you are writing an article, decide on the length and style.
If the rules aren’t clear from the outset, you will slip out of concentration as you ponder them later.
6) Set a Deadline
Deadlines have both advantages and disadvantages when trying to force concentration. A deadline can make it easier to forget the non-essential and speed up your working time. If you give yourself only an hour to design a logo, you will keep it simple and avoid fiddling with extravagant designs.
Time limits have disadvantages when they cause you to worry about the time you have left instead of the task itself. I recommend using a deadline when:
- Time is limited. If you only have a day to complete work that could easily take weeks, chunking it into specific deadlines will strip away everything that isn’t crucial.
- It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. If your task could easily expand to have new features or ideas, use a deadline to keep it under control.
- To avoid procrastination. A tight deadline can save you if you are worried about procrastinating.
7) Break Down Roadblocks
Roadblocks occur whenever you hit a tricky problem in your work. This can happen when you run out of ideas or your focus wavers. Break down roadblocks by brainstorming or planning on a piece of paper. Writing out your thought processes can keep you focused even if you might become frustrated.
8 ) Isolate Yourself
Become a hermit and stay away from other people if you want to get work done. Unless your work is based on other people they will only break your focus. Create a private space and refuse to talk to anyone until your work is finished. Put a sign on your door to steer away drop-ins and don’t answer your phone.
9) Healthy Body, Sharper Mind
What you put into your body affects the way you concentrate. Nobody would expect peak performance if they showed up drunk to work. But if you allow yourself to get chronic sleep deprivation, overuse stimulants like caffeine or eat dense, fatty foods your concentration will suffer. Try to cut out one of your unhealthy habits for just thirty days to see if there is a difference in your energy levels. I’ve found even small steps can create dramatic changes in my ability to focus.
10) Be Patient
Before I write an article, I often sit at my desk for a fifteen or twenty minutes before I put finger on the keyboard. During this time I feel a strong urge to leave or do something else. But I know that if I am patient, I’ll stumble upon an idea to write about and enter a state of flow. Without a little patience, you can’t take advantage of flow when it rushed through you.
If you need strong concentration I recommend periods of 90-120 minutes. Any less than that and you will waste too much time getting started before the flow can continue. More than this is possible to sustain focus, but you will probably benefit from a quick break.
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Comments
Brian says on July 27th, 2007 at 5:51 am
#9 is the most important on that list, in my opinion. If you exercise regularly, your demeanor improves and you become more positive and focused on what you’re working on.
Jennifer Lee says on July 27th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Awesome tips! Gotta try and apply most of the 10 methods! So happy found this on digg! *focus focus focus
Daniel Barnett says on July 27th, 2007 at 6:40 am
The brain is like any other muscle – recent research into neuroplasticity shows that regular cognitive stimulation and exercise can improve performance in domains such as memory and concentration/focus.
HeadStrong provides a range of tools to help improve concentration as well as a cognitive difficulties questionnaire: http://www.headstrongcognitive.com
10668844 says on July 27th, 2007 at 7:02 am
It takes 30 days to make or break a habit, that’s 30 consecutive days.
When trying to turn yourself into a more productive person, keep that in mind, it’s helped me a lot.
Amanda Himelein says on July 27th, 2007 at 8:54 am
RE #10:
I once listened to a speaker who, when her first employer asked her if she could do something – anything, no matter what it was – always responded “yes.”
“Well how hard can it be? You get last year’s, you sit down, and you stare at it until something comes to you. You know what most people’s problem is? They stand up too soon!”
Lori B says on July 27th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I use Immrama Institute’s Focus CD while studying. It has binaural beats that put your brain into the right mode for studying and concentrating on tasks. It helps me focus on the material and retain it longer… I notice a definite difference when using the CD. I disagree with the author about having things quiet… My mind wanders too easily when it’s quiet. My two cents… Take care, Lori
jobinator says on July 27th, 2007 at 10:48 am
All this is telling me that you people really want to be productive. That is great, but I don’t really believe in an increased productivity only to please the shareholders of the corporation I’m working for. Personally, I would be happier to work less and make less but have more spare time. For example, reduce the working hours to 5 or 6 per day instead of 8. The goal to make more money is, in my opinion, ridiculous, since more money does not always make me a happier person. I think the only reason we work 8 hours/day is so that the shareholders will be happy. A goal I cannot relate to, not because I am not a shareholder (I am, I was conviced in my economics class back in high school), but because I value my non-working time. And now, that the hours are cut, I can agree with these 10 steps to improve productivity. Now before I get flamed as a commie, you might reconsider and realize that the communism that lived/lives in our world was another form of capitalism. There are very few political systems which are not capitalist (anarchy (or anarcho-communism) is one of them). peace! and have fun being productive
materialBITCH says on July 27th, 2007 at 11:11 am
I find a few martinis and a pack of newports and I can concentrate like no other when I need to get shit done (mainly writing and design). Cheers!
Rep the brand,
http://www.materialbitch.com
Brian K Woodard says on July 27th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Our culture focuses too much on organization it’s like the long list of useless features for a phone or other electronics widget. If your focus is strong organization will follow naturally.
Erik says on July 27th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Jobinator, I think you’re so focused on your feelings about working for a corporation that you’re missing the bigger picture. The concept of “productivity” was developed in the corporation, but it has since become much broader, encompassing all aspects of life. The tips advocated by Scott’s article, for example, can be beneficial whether you work for yourself, are employed by a nonprofit, are a homemaker, student, or political activist. We all have to work, be it for ourselves or for others. We don’t all work toward the same goals, either. Assuming that the aim of working efficiently is predicated exclusively on a desire to make more money is quite a leap. Using work time more efficiently actually supports the cause you seem to be advocating. If I can get the work done in the time I’ve allotted for work, I don’t have to dip into relaxation time.
tom says on July 27th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
lifehack: bravely telling you what you already know.
jiffener says on July 27th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Jobinator, you sound like a perfect candidate for “The Four-Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferriss.
Tom, you’re right, and yet somehow when lifehack tells me what I already know, it somehow helps me feel like I then know it better.
claudia Snell says on July 27th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
A lot of things on this list are great. Thanks for sharing it.
I think it is also good to note that everyone ticks a little different. I actually function better with noise for instance. Quiet makes me more distracted.
It’s good to pay attention to your own unique needs and try to find ways to focus that work best for you.
Brian says on July 28th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Each morning, I process invoices: something which requires a lot of concentration.
I spend about a half hour the day before getting the invoices ready to process. I do them first thing in the morning.
I end up putting my IM in “do not disturb” and the status message is “working on invoices. back online soon”. I put my phone in “do not disturb” and the two people I work with know to let me be unless it’s something pressing.
I also throw on headphones and run music or white noise. I have a tendency to let my mind wander and listen to things around me. Having headphones on and being able to blot out the background noise helps a great deal.
Once I’m done, I make myself available via phone and on IM and ditch the headphones. Most of the time, this works.
nXqd3051990 says on July 28th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Great tips :)
YES ! PATIENT , that what I need
nXqd
cindy@staged4more says on July 29th, 2007 at 2:48 am
i am seriously lacking in #9 right now and i think that’s why i feel tired a lot at work. also to do list helps me a lot, as well as resisting the temptation of checking my emails every 4 minutes.
cheers,
cindy
Persuasion says on July 29th, 2007 at 11:18 am
One tip I picked up from the Landmark forum is this: kick SOMEDAY out of your vocabulary and replace it with TODAY.
If your every minute is focused on the now, your mind never leaves high gear!
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moviemaniac says on July 29th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
concerning point 10. The recommended period of 90 – 120 minutes seems rather too long for keeping strong concentration.
You better try with a period of 45 – 60 minutes and then take a break of 5 to 10 minutes. And taking a break means no talking to other people, surfing on the web and so on. Drink water and go out for fresh air.
I also strongly recommend meditation. You are fully aware of the present moment and youre concentration becomes better with regular practice.
But of course the idea of mediation is not just getting more productive its also about watching your egoistic thougts going by and that means you distinguish all wishes that occur suffer if their not fullfilled. That doesnt mean that you have to say goodbye to all the nice things in life like food, love, sex, art, people and so on, but you realize that a intensive hedonistic way of life leads to unhappiness.
Jerry says on July 30th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Those razors are not good quality at all. At least a mach 3 should’ve been used.
1. Eliminating distractions and being patient are probably the most useful for me.
2. Try to use Temptation Blocker profusely if you can…it can boost productivity 2x. Really Brings the Focus.
3. There is a new startup coming along http://www.rescuetime.com that can also help people in their quest.
4. Listenting to sounds of rain in background (mp3 of course unless you can produce rain outside) can lock your mind into the same frequency zone. Also try this CD: http://www.immrama.org/focus/focus.html
I have this one and has helped me a ton. It could be just placebo, but it works.
5. One of my posts: http://neointellectual.wordpre.....perfectly/
That also helps me break through the clutter and just march ahead.
Bluffer says on February 6th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Well written stuff. Though I think just two key tips can save you a lot of efforts and dissections on how to focus;
(1) Do what you love and what you feel is right – almost always
(2) Excercise regularly to keep the blood flowing – it enriches your thoughts
Rest of the journey will be just as you always “really” wanted it.
Cheers.
jackson says on March 30th, 2008 at 1:55 am
i love this site.