Caution: There is an army of distractions in the fight for your attention! This makes it difficult to focus on growing your business. In this text I want to share with you practical tips on how to recover and maintain your focus in times of high demand for your attention.
Producing focus these days requires a lot of willpower and intelligence. We live in an age of instant communication, incessant notifications and immediate access to anything and everything. There are brain and emotional muscles to choose what to prioritize, when and why.
In my work with entrepreneurs, this difficulty in choosing where to invest their attention has been repeated. I often say that our attention is like money, it will pay off according to our ability to direct our resources. As a first step, I like to identify the major thieves of customer attention, the holes in the bucket.
I don’t even have to say which are the most common, little thieves that fit in your pocket. Little thieves called smartphones and their henchmen who call themselves notifications. We are the first generation to deal with these hyper-smart, connected and portable machines and, I can say, we are still learning.
The great truth is that our brain loves something new and is gratified by the new stimulus, which is increasingly colorful, calculated and insistent. For this very reason, our cerebral partner needs initial and constant guidance so as not to get lost in the small lights of the screen.
When we define an objective or an intention, we are bringing this guidance so that our brain can more accurately and relevantly filter the information, tasks and requests that appear on our journey.
In addition to setting goals, we can work consciously to minimize distractions as they are within our control. We cannot, for example, control who is going to call us but we can decide whether or not to answer the call. Every time you decide to resist a distraction, you are taking a step towards your success.
Well, there is a war going on for our attention. Companies are making money with the ability to attract and keep their attention with more and more filters, glows, algorithms and more. We cannot be distracted from what really matters, we must orient ourselves further.
We have to evolve our ability to focus at the same speed, with the same intelligence and objectivity. Remember: you are responsible for your attention. If you have a dream that is worthwhile, here are some tips for you not to be distracted:
1. Do not use your computer or smartphone unless you know exactly what you are going to do.
Before you even start your computer or pick up your cell phone, sit in front of it still off. Allow yourself a few seconds to see if it is clear within you what you want to accomplish at that moment. If you don’t know, get up and walk two or three steps away from the device and see how it helps you define what you want more clearly.
2. Turn off notifications on your smartphone.
I cannot describe in words the degree of freedom that turning off notifications has generated for my day-to-day life. Try visiting your phone’s settings and managing the notifications you receive every day. Turn off any notifications that are not essential to your activity or personal life.
3. Come back faster when you realize you are lost.
Essentially, focus is choice. One of the most important choices to make is that of admitting that we got lost and STOP IMMEDIATELY what we are doing. So, if you find yourself watching cute pandas on Youtube, not knowing how you got there and how long you’ve been there, STOP AND BREATHE. Avoid criticizing yourself and find the best way to return to active life in a targeted way.
Meet with your team today and discuss these tips. If there are any questions or if you want to go deeper, leave your comment.
Thank you for being here.
