11/6/2022 0 Comments Findfocus browser extension![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Write it downĪnother way to ensure you stay on track is thinking about your day and what you need to achieve, then forcing yourself to write it all down with a pen. To learn, in other words, is an act of deep work.” This technique is even more powerful when combined with timeboxing. As Newport describes in Deep Work, “To learn hard things quickly, you must focus intensely without distraction. To take it to the next level, tools like Clockwise automate this process by scheduling in focus time for you, helping your entire team by reducing the distraction of quick meetings as well as warning people when they’re interrupting you.īuilding a habit like this is important for mastering a skill and truly getting work done requires the same level of focus. ![]() These focus blocks allow you to ensure that nobody slides into your calendar unannounced, and ensure you mentally switch modes into “work”. “Focus on being productive instead of busy” -Tim Ferris When the slot approaches, flip on Do Not Disturb on your phone and computer, and sign out of your social media accounts: it’s focus time. Set aside a few hours each day for focus time to make it clear that you’re not available to meet during that time-see our post about creative naming excuses for these, if you need one-then stick rigidly to that during the day. Tim Ferris hints at this in his book, The Four-Hour Work Week, when he says that “Focus on being productive instead of busy.” Block out focus time in the calendarĪnother powerful habit is blocking out time in your calendar to avoid other people disrupting your flow during the day. The temptation to pop into your email or check Twitter is strong, but as you resist it for longer, the work will flow. The first few times may feel pain if you’re a window-switcher. Don’t switch, check your email, or do anything else! Then, hit start and force yourself to work for 25 minutes straight on that single task. Choose something to serve as a timer, such as a physical timer or a handy focus app on your computer, and set the clock for 25 minutes. To start a ‘pomo,’ create a list of what you want to achieve today and pick one task. Our favorite way to do this and help stay on task is with Pomodoro timers, which breaks tasks up into 25-minute sprints. One key change to underpin your new habit is setting aside dedicated time to complete tasks without flicking between them. Each strategy won’t work for everyone, but we suggest trying a few of them yourself and choosing the ones that fit your workflow best. As they become habits, it will be easier to keep to them, and the practice will ultimately improve your day. There are a few techniques that can help with this process. Diving into workĪs Newport points out in Deep Work, “Less mental clutter means more mental resources available for deep thinking.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to lock yourself in a meeting room or stop going into the office entirely, but does mean that it’s worth examining a more intentional approach to time management. In the book Deep Work, Cal Newport explains that “efforts to deepen your focus will struggle if you don’t simultaneously wean your mind from a dependence on distraction.” But, there is a solution: intentionally planning Focus Time helps us get more quality work done by minimizing interruptions, and allocating time to truly go ‘deep’ on the task at hand. In order to get focused work done, we need to escape the distractions that surround us in the workplace. Gloria Mark of UC Irvine found that a typical employee only has 11 minutes between distractions – not nearly enough for real focus. While these tools are incredibly useful, left unattended they can fill our workdays with chats and meetings, but no time to get work done.Īs a result, attention has become fragmented between checking email, social media, Slack, reading the news, going to meetings, then getting back to the work we should be doing. We’ve embraced productivity apps like Slack and Google Calendar without taking the time to build norms around them. It’s hard to find time to get real work done.Įven our tools are making it harder than ever to find time to focus. Today’s modern office is a cacophony of distractions: open floor plans, noisy conversations and people moving around. ![]()
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