Dear PR Matters,
I have noticed that over the past few years, I seem to be able to concentrate less on my tasks. There are so many distractions—gadgets, viber groups, social media—it is endless.
With less focus, I feel that I can do better in my work. It’s not the best I can do, and I seem to be doing things at a slower pace.
Can you give me some tips on how I can concentrate more despite the many distractions? Will appreciate your help on this.
Sincerely,
Chit V.
Dear Chit,
Many of my colleagues share your observation. With so much going on at the same time, we have more difficulty in focusing on our work. And that often means that the quality of our work suffers.
In an article in Inc. com, Marcel Schwantes said that “in the frantic pace of life to do more and more, we hardly think about the importance of focus.”
In his article, Steve Job’s advice on the “Only 4 times you should say no is Brilliant,” he quotes the revered Apple founder’s prophetic quote at an Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 1997.
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on,” Jobs has said. “But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”
Schwantes agreed. “Without focus, your very ability to think, reason, communicate, problem-solve and make decisions will naturally suffer. You just can’t maximize your efficiency or go into a state of flow if your mind is wandering off to multitask land.”
Ah, multitasking. Schwantes said the key to better focus is multitasking. “The reality is, we multitask everything,” he said. “You’re probably multitasking right now as you read this. Is music playing in the background or in your ears? Another Web page or e-mail open? Is someone else talking to you? Something is always begging for our attention.”
He went on to say that “research says multitasking is a myth and can be damaging to our brains. You end up splitting your focus over many tasks, losing focus, lowering the quality of your work and taking longer to hit your goals.”
The reality is that, as Tim Ferris has said in New New Internet Speaking, “the common characteristic of people who had the most time and the highest income is the ability to single task.”
They are “more focused, adaptive and, therefore, better decision-makers. And the better we can solve problems, the more productive we become.”
The most successful people, in fact, are “very patient, avoid juggling many things and live by the motto ‘one step at a time.’”
What should we say no to? We can begin by saying no to four focus-robbers:
Say no to cluttering your mind
Get away from the overload mode by decluttering your mind from what Schwantes calls “stuff”—unimportant things, calendar items, appointments, meetings, social events and other “frivolous activities that you can reprioritize later, delegate to others or simply drop from your to-do list altogether.” He added that “the less your mind is cluttered, the better your focus will be.”
Say no to interruptions
Schwantes believes that technology is one of the greatest obstacles to gaining good focus, as the constant distractions from notifications can take you off track. How do we manage all these?
First, he said, “when you get in the office, avoid jumping into e-mail; you may get sucked into a whirlpool of others’ needs, so do this last.”
Next, “minimize interruptions by going into airplane mode, or turning off notifications and placing your smartphone in another room nearby.”
So, what do you lose by not doing any of these? He quotes a study with a group of employees that found if all interruptions were eliminated, those employees would recapture three to five hours a day, which equals 40 percent to 60 percent to the standard workday. Now that’s a lot of time.
Say no to time robbers and yes to time locking
Time robbers are those who interrupt you constantly—with their complaints, gossip and senseless chatter. Time locking is the perfect way to recover stolen time from them, Schwantes said. He suggested that we “avert them by simply scheduling a specified block of time on your calendar to devote strictly to an important task or activity that requires the most focus, energy and undivided attention.”
That means “your co-workers need to know about your intent to time lock, so that they’ll cooperate in allowing for no interruptions, other than real emergencies.
Say no to your own unbelief
In the end, Schwantes said that “sometimes the whole business of having one true focus that will leave a legacy really comes down to a mind-set of believing in yourself.”
To achieve major goals, “you will need to stay positive about the journey ahead and look at the progress you’ve made in hindsight.
Set good boundaries and treasure your time and focus by staying positive.”
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
Image credits: FREEPIK.COM