Do you have a million things to do and unsure where to start?
Your attention is everything these days. As the media and the people in your environment will always find new ways to distract you from what's important, it's even more important today to maintain your focus.
By doing so, you remain to be "the eye of the storm," calm and focused. Being focused is more of an art than it is a science.
Here are 9 practical ways to stay focused:
- Choose one or two objectives for the year.
I think goal setting is important, but setting too many goals can be a trap.
I spoke to a woman earlier this week that is a friend of mine. I sensed that she seemed a little confused. As we got to talking, she told me about the different businesses she works in. I asked her, “how many business do you have?” and she replied, “I have three.”
If you ask me, that’s two, too many and here’s why. Having too many businesses (or objectives for that matter) scatters your focus, energy and your actions.
Instead, choose one or two objectives for the year. In this case it might mean focusing on one business first. Get it up and running until it runs almost automatic. Then you're ready for your next big project.
- Create a daily ritual.
I’m a Life Direction Coach, but I’m also a blogger and I have a newsletter. Since writing is part of the career I choose, I write every morning regardless if I’m going to publish an article or not. It’s become a very powerful morning ritual that keeps me focused.
This daily ritual is the same habit that helped me write my ebook when I was working full time as an engineer. I wrote every morning for 30-60 minutes and finished a 16 page ebook in 8 weeks.
- Do the most important first.
Ask yourself, “Am I inventing things to do to avoid the important?” This works with the 80/20 rule. 20% of your actions create 80% of your results. If that’s the case, then are you focused on the 20% that will get you the most powerful results?
If not, then why not? Are you inventing things to avoid the important? In most cases, you’re avoiding the important actions because there is a fear of rejection built into those actions.
Realize this: You've mastered your life when you know it isn’t important what others think of you - it’s more important what you think of you. Take your most important actions today and yield the greatest results.
- Give yourself daily quite time.
I like the way John Assaraf puts it. He says, “You want to slow down inside so that everything speeds up on the outside.”
Take a manual transmission car for example. When you shift from first to second gear, the engine slows down but the car speeds up. As you shift from second to third, the engine slows down again, but the car speeds up even more.
You want to do the same thing: slow down on the inside so that you speed up on the outside.
Make it a daily ritual to mediate, breath or visualize every day to become calm of mind.
- Trim the fat & eliminate the noise.
Environment plays a big role and affects your inner world; it can affect your mind. It affects your inner game.
Don't let it. Get rid of any noise or nuisances that distract you. If you want to do the heavy lifting you have to trim the fat. And that means eliminating the distractions in your life that prevent you from staying focused; things such as: watching the news, listening to media via the radio, surfing the web or checking email excessively.
I spend a maximum of an hour each day surfing the web and most of the time it’s for research or marketing. I also check my email twice per day. Once at mid-day and once at night. Trim the fat and eliminate the background noise in your life.
- Take care of yourself.
You have to remember that if you’re going to stay focused you must be able to perform. And you can’t perform unless you take care of yourself first.
Make sure to include a daily or at least weekly ritual to experience the things you really enjoy. In my case that means playing hockey twice per week, getting to the gym and reading inspirational books. Give yourself the time to do the things you really love to do. Take care of yourself and you’ll be able to take care of others.
You’ll can only give what you got.
- Visualize daily.
You could make this part of your daily ritual. Spend a minimum of 5 minutes daily visualizing your ideal life in all areas.
Vision is the magnet that pulls you along your destination. It’s gives you the juice to move towards a bright future instead of pushing against it. It’s like rolling downhill instead of pushing uphill. Having a vision moves you with the current instead of against it. Stay absolutely focused with a daily visualization.
- Complete everything you start.
Make completions a habit. Finish everything you start. These are the promises you make to yourself. If you made a promise to a friend and then didn't do it, do you think they'll trust you? It's unlikely, but what's worse is that you begin to doubt and loose trust in your own self.
And a lack of trust leads to low self confidence and a poor self-image. If you have a low opinion of your self, how productive do you think you’ll be?
- Develop your will power.
When you start your daily ritual it’s going to take will power to stick the routine. It’s never easy in the beginning, but with persistence you will develop the daily habits to stay very focused.
Will power is like a muscle, it gets stronger the more you use it. To get started, burn this quote into your mind:
“Do something every day for no other reason than you’d rather not do it or don’t feel like doing it.”~ William James
Start by choosing the daily ritual that will have the greatest impact on your life. Then commit to it for 30 days. It may be as simple as visualizing for five minutes every day. Once you become stronger in one area, you can develop your confidence and your will power in other areas.
Being "the eye of the storm" is no easy task, but it can be very simple. Choose one tip and commit every part of your being to make it happen. It will make all the difference as you steer your ship through those turbulent waters - and ultimately help you stay focused.
译文:
有助于集中注意力的九种实用方法
你是不是有百万件事情要做却不知道从哪儿开始呢？
这些天，你的注意力就是一切。在你所处的环境中，媒体和人们将经常地用一些新的方法分散你的注意力，让你偏离重点，所以现在，集中精力显得更重要了。
这样做，你会成为“暴风眼”，平静而且专注。与其说保持专注是一项科学，倒不如说是一门艺术。这里有9种实用的有助于精力集中的方法:
1,选择一两个这一年的目标法 我觉得制定目标是很重要的，但是目标制定的太多，反而会起负面作用。
这周的早些时候，我和一个朋友说话。我感觉到她好像有点困惑。我们聊天的时候，她给我说起了她谈的不同的生意。我问她，“你有几项生意？”，他回答道，“三项”
如果你问我，这是二个，太多了。那么这就是为什么你不能保持注意力的原因。有太多的业务（或者目标）分散了你的注意力、精力和你的行动。
相反的，选择一两个这一年的目标。这样的话，就意味着首先集中精力于一项业务。使它运行，并加以经营，直到它几乎能自行运转。然后，你就可以为下一个大计划做好准备了。
2，创建一个每天的例行公事 我是一个生活方向的教练，但是我还是一个写博客的人，我也有自己的电子书。自从写作成为我选择的职业中的一部分，不管我是否会发表文章，每天早上我都会写一些东西。这样我就形成了一个早上能让我集中精力的习惯。
我是一个工程师，当我全天都在工作的时候，这个例行公事也是一样的帮助我集中精力写我的电子书。每天早上我写半个小时至一个小时的时间，在八周时间里我就可以完成16页的电子书。
3，首先做最重要的事情 问问你自己，“为了逃避重要的事情，我是不是正在创造一些别的事情呢？”在80/20规则下这个才有效。你百分之二十的行动创造了半分之八十的结果。假如是这样的话，那么你是不是正集中精力与那能带给你更强有力的结果的百分之二十呢？
如果不是这样的话，那么为什么不这样呢?为了逃避重要的事情，你是不是正在创造一些别的事情呢？在多数情况下，你在逃避重要的事情，这是因为你对这些事情种潜在的反对存在着恐惧。
认识到这一点;当你知道别人对你的看法不重要的时候，你已经掌握了你自己的生活。而更重要的是你对自己是怎样的一种态度。今天，采取你最重要的行动，然后获得最好的结果。
4，每天给自己一定的时间 我喜欢约翰·阿萨拉夫说过的一句话。他说，“你总想着内部放慢速度，以至于外部的任何事情都在加速。”
就拿一辆手动变速汽车来说吧，当你将一档调到二档，发动机减速了，可是汽车却在加速。如果你将二档调到三档，发电机再次减速，但是汽车会跑的跟更快。
你想做同样的事情，即内部减速，同时外部加速。
安排一个例行公事来进行调节呼吸，或者每天发挥想象，以使自己保持冷静。
5，减少脂肪和消除噪音 在你的内心世界里，环境扮演着一个很重要的角色；它能够影响你的思想，影响你的心理活动。
不要听之任之。摆脱分散你注意力的任何噪音或烦人的事情。如果你想抬重东西，那你不得不减少脂肪。这就意味着要消除那些生活中让你不能集中精力的事情。例如：看新闻，用收音机听媒体报道，上网，或着过度的检查邮件。
每天我最多花一个小时上网，大部分的时间是用来调查和营销的。我每天还检查两次邮件。中午和晚上各一次。减少脂肪和消除你生活中的噪音。
6，照顾好自己 你必须记住的是假如你即将集中精力，那么你就必须能够执行这些事情。你不能执行，除非你首先照顾好自己。
保证涵盖一个每天的或者至少每周的例行公事去经历那些你真正喜欢的事情。对我而言，意味着每周去打两次曲棍球，去操场读启发人灵感的书。给自己时间去做你真正喜欢做的事情。照顾好你自己，那么你才能照顾好别人。
你将仅仅能够给予别人你自己获得事情
7，每天想象 你可以将这个作为你媒体那例行公事的一部分。每天花最少5分钟的时间想象一下所有领域中你理想的生活。
愿景是一块磁铁，吸引你朝着目的地迈进。它会给你朝美好的未来前进的动力，而不是阻止你。就好像从山上滚下来，而不是艰难的往上爬。拥有一个愿景会顺流而下，而不是逆流而行。在每天想象的陪伴下，完全的保持精力集中。
8，开始做了，就要完成 将完成事情作为一种习惯。只要你开始做一件事，就要完成它。这些是你对自己的承诺。假如你对一个朋友承诺了却没有做，难道你会认为他们还会相信你么？这是不可能的，但更糟糕的是你开始怀疑自己，并且不那么信任自己了。
缺乏信任会导致缺乏自信和不好的自我形象。如果你对自己评价很低，那么你会认为自己能取得多大的成功呢？
9，发挥你的意志力 当你开始自己每天的例行公事的时候，需要发挥意志力来坚持这个常规。一开始不简单，但是只要坚持，就能形成习惯，以保持精力高度集中。
意志力就像肌肉，用得越多，它就会变得更强壮。开始吧，将这句引言牢记于心：
“每天做一些事情，更多的是因为你不愿意做或者不想去做。——威廉·詹姆斯
“先从选择一个每天的例行公事开始，而且这个例行公事将对你的生活产生巨大的影响。然后执行三十天。这样会和每天想象五分钟一样简单。一旦你在某一方面变得更有实力，那么，你就能够增强自信，使自己在这个领域更有发言权。
成为“暴风眼“不是一件容易事情，但是它能够变得非常容易。选择一个建议，然后执行每一个你想让它发生的部分。这样，就像你掌控船桨通过湍流时一样，会获得不一般的结果。同时，还将最终帮助你集中注意力。