Having Trouble Staying Focused? You’ll Want To Read This

“The past 12 months have definitely disrupted many people’s focus, including the women I work with and myself,” says Kelly Nolan, an attorney-turned-time management strategist. “Between the pandemic, economic uncertainty, social justice movements, the election, the aftermath, and weather storms, there’s been a lot driving us towards our phones to seek information, answers, and updates. I’ve also felt more addicted to that little handheld computer than ever before.”

When there’s so much going on, it can be difficult to sit down, unplug, and focus on the task at hand. And, since we don’t have a boss or coworkers to hold us accountable, it can be hard to get focused when we’re simply not in the mood. But, it is possible — we just need a push in the right direction. To help, Kelly and Anna Dearmon Kornick, a time management coach and the host of a podcast called “It’s About Time,” are sharing their tips for staying focused. We got this!

Plan Ahead

Doesn’t the workday feel a lot easier when you’re ahead of your work? Even if you’re not 100 percent focused, having a good grasp on the tasks at hand empowers you to bring your A-game to your business. Want to keep that feeling alive all year long? Commit to a weekly planning session.

“A protected time each week to look up, see the bigger picture and priorities, create a strategy to get there, and make sure nothing is falling through the cracks is critical to our ability to make the most of our time,” Kelly says.

During this time, you can schedule emails, brainstorm new ideas, or check the status of ongoing projects. While you can technically have a planning session any day of the week, Kelly recommends having it on a Friday. That way, you don’t need to disrupt your workflow or give up precious face time with your clients.

“More importantly, an effective planning session gives you this weird high from knowing you’re on top of it all,” she adds. “I want you to get to enjoy that feeling all weekend. I’m also a huge proponent of using a step-by-step agenda to guide your planning sessions to make them most effective.”

I just added a weekly planning session to my calendar every Friday, who’s with me?

Rethink Your Phone Use

Let’s face it: We all have a love-hate relationship with social media. While our go-to apps are great ways to stay informed and connected with loved ones, they can be a total time suck. If you want to keep your phone use to a minimum, Kelly encourages you to place your device away from your desk.

“I’ve found I very easily pick up my phone before I even realize it; when I’m just mildly stressed by work and my brain is seeking somewhere more comfortable to go,” she says. “Just realizing this helps me catch myself and break the action. Moving your phone out of arm’s reach helps with this, too.”

But, what if your career requires a strong digital presence? Anna recommends reframing your use as a business tool, not a distraction.

“When you think of social media as a business tool — and therefore think of yourself as a ‘content producer’ instead of a ‘consumer’ — it can shift your approach,” she says. “Social media content creation and engagement deserves a time-block on your calendar just like meetings and scheduled client work. Instead of picking up your phone and looking at social media [randomly], give it space on your calendar and always ask yourself, ‘Am I showing up as a producer or a consumer right now?’”

If it’s the latter? Well, you know what to do:

Prioritize Time Over Task

Think your to-do list is the secret sauce to your business? Not so fast. While to-do lists might help you keep tabs on big deadlines, important Zoom meetings, and mandatory admin work, Kelly says they set you up for failure, not focus.

“They often lead to gross overestimations of what we can get done in a day, which causes us to feel defeated at the end of the day and a lack of motivation to do it again tomorrow,” she says. “By [scheduling] all of your tasks, you’re forced to get realistic about what you can get done in a day, which helps you prioritize effectively. [You can] go to bed feeling proud of today and calm about tomorrow.”

As someone who has relied on my to-do list for years, Kelly’s tip feels like a total game-changer. So, why not switch up your routine? By blocking out tasks on your calendar — think dedicating an hour to drafting emails, working on a big proposal, or invoicing — you can focus on what really matters. (Psst…Kelly has a free guide for ditching your to-do list once and for all. Check it out here.)

Step by Step

I hate to break it to you, but nobody’s good at multi-tasking. (Trust me, this was a hard pill to swallow over at Office Hours HQ.)

“What you’re actually doing when you have multiple projects running at once — replying to emails while DMing, writing an article, [and so on] — is called ‘context switching,’” Anna explains. “Every time you switch from task to task, you’re losing focus, increasing your chances of making a mistake, and you’re getting all of those things done slower than if you were to focus on one thing at a time.”

Instead, she recommends monotasking, where you only (gasp!) do one thing at a time.

“This is going to feel SO hard at first, but training yourself to focus on one thing at a time is going to gradually strengthen your attention muscle, giving you the ability to focus for longer periods of time,” Anna says. “Close your email browser. Put your phone away. You’ve got this!”

Take a Break

As a self-starter, you are a powerhouse. You have so much to bring to the table and work hard for everything you have. Still, even self-starters need to treat themselves to a well-deserved break. In fact, Anna says it’s the biggest mistake people make when trying to increase their focus.

“We’re just not meant to focus on something for longer than 30 minutes at a time,” she explains. “If you’ve got deep work on your to-do list that requires intense focus, don’t force yourself to keep your head down and push through until you finish.”

If you’re having a hard time staying focused, give the good ‘ol Pomodoro Method a try. Grab a timer and set it for 25 minutes. Do your focused work for 25 minutes, and then take a five-minute break. Repeat this four times and then take a longer break. The key? Those five minutes should not be spent on work. Go for a walk! Grab some water! And, if you can, don’t look at your phone!

A special thanks to Kelly and Anna for such an important and inspiring conversation. You can give Kelly some love by following her on Instagram and downloading her free (!) guide to ditching your to-do list. Support Anna by following her on Instagram and listening to her podcast, “It’s About Time.”

Hustler of the Week: Kelly Collier

To kick off the conversation, how did you become involved in the design community?

I’ve had a love for interior design since I was a child. [I grew up] seeing my mother and grandmother’s homes adorned in beautiful custom furniture, drapery, etc. After helping others and enjoying decorating my own homes over the years, I decided to take a design course at Temple University. I started the business officially in February 2019. It’s one of the best decisions [I’ve] ever made for myself!

What is your favorite part about being your own boss? Least favorite?

My favorite part of being my own boss thus far has been having the freedom to create the experience I would like clients to have and running my business on my terms. The least favorite part has been the admin work behind the scenes and lots of late nights in the midst of it all.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since becoming your own boss?

The biggest lesson learned to date is not deviating from my process. Sticking to my process for all situations has been key to things running smoothly.

Give Kelly some love by following her on Instagram, listening to her podcast, and checking out her website.

(Psst…like what you see? You can subscribe to “Office Hours with Kelsey Mulvey” here.)