How To Maintain Focus And Manage Time

It's 6:30 am, its not your day to drop the kids off at school, and somehow you have beat the morning Starbucks rush. You've done well with your time management this morning. Everything is done, now with grande Americano in hand you get into your car and start heading to work.

In your mind you have a set schedule, today's work day is going to be a day of focus and productivity!  Yet, when you get to work all time management and focus flies out the window. The project proposal that you submitted needs to be re-drafted, your phone keeps ringing from the design department because they need your feedback on a project that's due the next day, and your kid's school is calling because your son decided to throw up his breakfast all over the carpet during morning story time.

Needless to say, stress begins to rise in your body as you try and remember all the things you “wanted to get done” at work. Time seems to be passing faster than it should. This appears to be a regular work issue; your daily distractions often prevent you from good time management and from accomplishing your goals.

Your morning plan for “focus” is lost and this leaves you with poor time management. In turn you're working long hours and feeling as though you are inefficient. It is true that life happens, however there are things that you can do to help maintain “focus” and use time management wisely so that you stay productive at work.

The very first step you can take for improved time management and focus at work is maintain a positive attitude. As soon as stress starts setting in, your time management abilities disintegrate, your body goes into overdrive, and you automatically being to lose focus.

Take time to retrieve focus. Stop and  remind yourself that you are good at what you're doing, and that you will take one thing at a time, and everything will get done. Your heart rate will lower, and you will then be more able to maintain focus, and better use your time management skills.

The next step you can take is to write down all the things that you  were trying to keep in your head onto a note pad that you keep on your desk at work. Getting those things out of your head will allow you to take your focus away from remembering all the things that you were supposed to be doing, and allow you to place your focus on the task at hand.

In addition by seeing all of your tasks on a piece of paper, you will have a better idea of what you have to do, and a better idea of what is actually important! Remember, time management is about prioritization. Once you have a list, you can prioritize how you attack your tasks and how you need to focus at work.

Furthermore, focusing on a tasks at hand, it is important that you remove all possible distractions at work. This is an effective time management tool, for if you spend less energy trying to maintain focus you are able to have "full focus" on the task at hand. It will therefore take less time and less energy to complete it. Full focus allows you to use your skills at their optimal level for your work.

This means that it is necessary to close your web browser and set your office phone to message. Also if possible, close your office door and turn off your cell-phone. You can also try sitting in a direction at work that prevents you from being distracted by people coming in. Why do you think extra people aren't allowed in the operating room during surgery? The less distraction, the better and more efficient the work.

You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish if you just put yourself in the right mindset, and remove all the distractions from your job. Make your time management and focus about what you need!  Just making little shifts may make it so hours are taken off of your daily task list! Try these ideas and see how much more “focus" you have in your day.