Do you truly understand what distracts you and what helps you focus? ...especially now just as the hybrid work life is resetting all of our expectations in our work life and whole life?
Many people ask me how I write books while running my business, so after I wrote my first book I decided to share exactly how in my Inc Magazine column How to Write a Brilliant Book in Four Months.
A year ago, I discovered I had an ADHD brain, and one of the upsides of that neurodiversity is the ability to go into “hyperfocus” which means that you can become incredibly focused and deliver high output in rapid time. - to get into that zone (on things you actually want to focus on rather than on a random rabbit hole not of your own choosing....) requires setting the right conditions. These conditions are ones that anyone can take advantage of to increase your productivity.
Here are six ways that can really help anyone focus:
Ask when you need the house to yourself. This weekend I had the house to myself on Sunday for 7 sweet precious hours. My husband took our three daughters out for a Daddy day and I got to be in the house. ALONE!. Which allowed me to write, create, and just simply think. As we transition to our hybrid schooling, hybrid working, and hybrid socializing the juggle of new schedules is very real. This past year has changed the dynamic in so many houses and knowing what you need and asking for it can help you focus.
Turn off every distraction. How often do you technically detach? When I need to focus my phone goes into airplane mode, I turn my outlook to Offline so I can’t see incoming emails, I switch off my WiFi and put my phone in another room. Try it when you have a presentation to write, a board report to prepare, or you need time to think and create.
Put the world on mute. Noise cancelling headphones puts the world in quiet mode. I love listening to music when I am in hyperfocus mode but sometimes I just put my airpods in so it mutes the background noise around me and I get extreme silence. For my ADHD brain this is especially helpful.
Use visual timers Anyone who hears me speak at virtual and real life events knows the power of visual timers. Let me know if you want to discuss me running a productivity session for your leadership team and I’ll show you just how!
Know your output metrics. You know your fastest mile if you are a runner, or your personal record if you lift weights- but do you know your productivity per hour in your work? I know exactly how many words I can write in 55 minutes( if I am not distracted of course!) I set a visual timer and let my pen or keyboard flow. - the elapsed time vs the actual time spent doing a task can ruin your productivity if you don’t know and set clear output goals. — Try adding up how many actual minutes you spent on that one email that really only took 5minutes to write once you stopped trying to multi task or overthink it!
Move for five minutes of every hour - even in hyperfocused mode you need to move once every hour. Go and get some water, walk around your house or office, or do some stretching or squats the other side of your desk. You will find if you know you are going to move every hour it forces you to make the prior 55 minutes count!
What was I working on this weekend? I plan to share exactly that later this month.
Since sharing my discovery of ADHD brain many people ask me “how do you stay focused Val, —however to you do all of that!?” Now you know some of my tricks that anyone can apply to increase your own productivity.
Dedicated to growing your business,
Val
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