Colleagues and friends extoll their multi-tasking skills. Then, in the next breath, they complain about always chasing what needs to get done. A business friend observed:

“Focus? I don’t have time to focus. With seven junior planners needing constant attention, everything is urgent.”

That sounds exhausting. Focus and concentration give us the time and space to make better decisions. Without it, we spend time spinning our wheels and making suboptimal decisions.

Years ago, Peter Drucker suggested that successful people did many things well. And that they did them one at a time. More recently, James Clear writing about the myth of multi-tasking noted that “mastery requires focus and consistency.”

To help himself focus, Clear picks a priority a day – the one thing that must get done. That seems like a genius idea. When things go astray, getting back on track is easy. You return to the goal.

When we do get unfocused and behind, we often commit to solving the problem by deciding to focus on it for long periods. I’ve often said:

“I don’t market enough. I’ll block two hours every Thursday afternoon to reach out and connect.”

That doesn’t work well – for me. It’s too long without a break or a change of pace. Plus, distraction happens, and some tasks don’t take that long.

How would you feel about shorter blocks of focus? Many clients and friends love the Pomodoro Technique. It’s easy to try. Pick a task and set a timer for 25 minutes or so. Ignore incoming distractions while you work on that task. Then take a five-minute break and repeat several times. A long break every 90 minutes helps clear your mind and consolidate your progress.

Oliver Burkeman, in The New York Times, suggests going one step further. He proposes eliminating all distractions – from email and social media to background noise, including music and podcasts – to focus on your task.

Two benefits seem clear. Without noise, we can concentrate. We take at least a minute to refocus our brain after each distraction, reducing productivity. And focus requires being present with the benefit that any moment can become mindful.

Burkeman observes that:

There will always be too much to do. You will never get on top of it.

Therefore, devote time and energy to the few things that truly matter to you.

Then, you’ll be more in the present and enjoy things more.

That may be too cosmic for some. Here are three productivity suggestions:

Pick a priority a day and make it your “anchor task.” Put it front and center throughout the day.

Carve out manageable blocks of time with a single focus. The 25-minute Pomodoro works for many – but experiment to see what works for you,

Create a distraction-free environment. Eliminate everything to create a silent space for concentrated work.

These can help answer Andrew Neitlich’s spot-on question, “Are you busy or effective?”

When you’re ready to tackle that question, Contact Us.