Finding Time by Finding Focus: 5 Tips

“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”

Chinese Proverb

Finding time becomes much easier when you bring your full awareness to the time you have. But perhaps maintaining your focus is your problem. Do competing priorities, interruptions, worries, or daydreams distract you? As the examples below prove, you are not alone!

The Time Pickpocket: Your mind wanders and time gets lost as you try to complete a task.

You re balancing your checkbook on Saturday morning. You notice the check you wrote last month for plane tickets. The next thing you know you re five-minutes into a daydream about your trip to Barbados!

In this example, you get your task done, but it takes longer that you expected.

The Time Mugger: Multiple tasks steal your focus.

You begin a task say, writing an article about FINDING FOCUS! First, you turn on your computer and decide to check your e-mail. Then you remember that you need to let the dog out. On the way you notice the dishes that need washing. Before doing them you pick up the mail in the entryway and so on.

In this familiar scenario, you accomplish things, but they are not the things you planned to do.

The Time Annihilator: Others worries and tasks, added to your own, distract you and pull you off course.

Your boss has a pressing deadline, your kids need rides to their lessons and games, you ve got bills to pay, food shopping to do, the phone is ringing and Sparky needs dinner! Setting a course and sticking to it feels just about impossible.

When you re in this zone, you feel chronically stuck, torn, and unproductive.

Here are 5 Tips guaranteed to help you Find Focus and Find Time!

Start with Mindfulness. Notice when your attention is wandering. Don t do anything about it. Just notice.

Bring it Back. After you get good at noticing when your mind wanders, start gently bringing it back to the task.

Explore, Don t Ignore. If your mind keeps wandering to the same place, try setting your task aside for a moment. Ask what you are trying to tell yourself. Set a time frame for this, and don t spend too long. Your exploration should not become a distraction!

Make a Note. If what s tugging at you seems important, make a note and promise yourself to come back to it later. Set a specific time for doing this. When you can trust that you ll come back to something later, you will be more willing to let it go in the moment!

Focusing Means Saying No. You must have boundaries to stay focused. Once you have decided on a task, keep saying YES to your focus and NO to your distractions.

The way you spend your time is the way you live your life

What are you saying YES to when you let yourself wander? What are you saying NO to? How about when you stay focused? Experiment a little. Try the 5 Tips above and document your successes. You can develop focus you need, and before you know it, you ll be finding time!

Want to learn more about finding time and developing focus? Visit http://www.findingtime.net/ and learn more timely tips. When you sign up for the free, Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine, you receive two insightful articles at http://www.findingtime.net/ezine.html. Let Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder, help you find time to revitalize your life!

Understanding Your Energy Cycles

An important component of any time management program is looking at your various activities and deciding which are most important. Another aspect, which may be overlooked, is determining the best time for you to engage in those activities.

Everyone has a unique cycle of daily up-times and down-times, and working according to your own cycle can have a tremendous impact on your productivity. Failure to understand and apply this important principle can cause you to waste your peak energy times on your least challenging tasks.

A simple way to explore your natural body rhythms is to complete the following sentences, from Julie Morgenstern’s “Time Management from the Inside Out.”

Mornings are the best time for me to _______________ and the worst time for me to _______________.

Afternoons are the best time for me to ______________ and the worst time for me to _______________.

Evenings are the best time for me to _______________ and the worst time for me to _______________.

Late at night is the best time for me to _______________ and the worst time for me to ______________.

You can take advantage of these cycles by scheduling your activities around them. If you determine that mornings are the best time for you to work on tasks requiring extreme concentration, try to capitalize on this knowledge by avoiding meetings and telephone calls during this time, if possible.

Unfortunately, you can t always choose when to do certain activities. For example, you may determine that mornings are the best time for you to participate in meetings, but you belong to a committee which always meets after lunch, when you often feel sluggish. It is therefore necessary to for you to develop strategies to help recharge your internal battery. In this case, eating a lighter lunch or taking a short walk after eating may help you to have the energy you need for that meeting.

Often a change of pace is all that is needed. For example, if you have been sitting at your desk working on a task requiring deep concentration, you may find that making a phone call or two will give you a burst of energy. On the other hand, if you ve been working in a hectic environment, stepping outside for some fresh air and a quiet moment may be in order. What works for someone else may not work for you, so being aware of your own energy boosters and working them into your schedule will help you to avoid unplanned downtime. Nearly everyone will find that proper diet and exercise will enhance their overall energy level.

These strategies are helpful not only when planning your workday, but when deciding when to shop, work around the house, or engage in social or other personal activities, and may even make it easier to fit them into your busy life.