Our most valuable asset is our mind. Improving focus, concentration, and memory should be a top priority so we can achieve our goals.
An entrepreneurial mindset provides endless ideas and plans, and launching a business or product requires focus. However, our focus has to be on the right goals, and in the right order.
By implementing focus techniques, you can better prioritize and manage your ideas, ensuring that you spend your time on the projects that matter most.
3 Changes to Make to Increase Focus
One of the best ways to increase our focus and memory is to change the way you think.
Elie Venezky says, “Focus is a muscle, and you can build it. Too many people labor under the idea that they’re just not focused, and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once you drop this mistaken belief, you can take a much more realistic approach to building focus.”
Here are three ways you can change our work environments, thereby changing the way you think about focus:
1. Unplug Devices or Block Sites and Apps
A lot of today’s work is done online – or at least on a computer – so unplugging devices may not be an option. If your job requires you to be plugged in, install apps and tools that will allow you to block certain websites, apps, and programs. Blocking sites and apps helps eliminate the temptation to click away from your work.
2. Turn On Some Music
Instrumental music or ambient white noise can be beneficial. It can help you focus on your thoughts as you work, and can block out other distracting noise.
3. Have an Organized Workspace
Having an organized workspace leads to having an organized mind. Keeping your desks tidy not only looks and feels more professional, but can also reduce stress, save time, and influence creativity.
3 Concentration Techniques
Once you’ve changed your environment and set the stage for focused productivity, you can get to work. Here are three concentration techniques to help us stay focused on our priorities:
1. Keep a Distraction List
As you work, thoughts will inevitably enter your heads, unannounced and usually unwelcome. Thoughts, like remembering to buy milk on your way home, having to return a phone call, or following up with a client, will all make their way to the back of your mind. When these thoughts pop up, take a moment to jot them down on paper. Later, you can move those written thoughts to an official task list or calendar.
2. Use the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is a widely used time management method that has been around since the 1980s. By working in intervals – traditionally 25 minutes of work separated by 5-minute breaks – you can work in bursts of intense focus. Any timer will do, but some Pomodoro-inspired apps and websites will help keep track of work intervals, including sending reminders to take breaks.
3. Stay Active
Exercising your body is just as important as exercising your mind, and the two go hand-in-hand. Physical exercise increases your heart rate, sending more oxygen to your brain. When you exercise, your body releases hormones that support better moods and lower stress levels. Studies have also shown that exercise can improve attention spans. Exercising in the morning before work, taking a walk outside during lunch, and doing some long, slow stretches during a break are great ways to stay active throughout the day.
How to Think Like an Entrepreneur
What we think about focus and concentration – and how you approach goal-setting – all comes down to your mindset. By changing our mindset, you may change your future, both professionally and personally.
Here are some tips for changing the way you think, and getting into the entrepreneurial mindset:
- Stay passionate about projects.
- Have brainstorming sessions.
- Don’t settle for inefficiency.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks.
- Accept advice and take feedback to heart.
- Focus on the big picture without losing sight of details.
By implementing these techniques to improve focus and concentration – and by changing your mindset to think like an entrepreneur – you can begin to change yourself, your life, and your businesses for the better.
