How do you keep yourself focused?

RaduV Level 1

September 30, 2016, 10:03 am

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Everybody knows that working from the comfort of your home has its advantages. You have the freedom to work how you want, when you want but most importantly is to work without someone watching over your shoulder and checking every step you make.

Sounds wonderful right? Who wouldn't want this? Well yeah, it sounds great if you manage to maintain your efficiency and productivity at a positive level. I often find myself full of energy, great ideas and a positive attitude. Then i reach my laptop, engage in random conversations with strangers, start reading some articles in several areas of interests, check my emails, my messages and then suddently everything is lost.
How do you keep yourself focused?

I don't want to work anymore, lose interest and end up watching cat videos on YouTube (By the way, there are way to many videos with cats on YouTube that it should be allowed) and half of my working day is off.

How do you stay focused? How do you motivate yourself to achieve your daily goals? Do you set milestones?

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Lynne

Oh my gosh I know what you mean for sure. I can really get distracted sometimes and go off on a complete tangent.

Sometimes when I work I multi task and have loads of windows open and I jump all over the place. I find this is when I get distracted and when I find myself losing focus of what I am supposed to be doing.

I have found the best way to work is to make a quick to do list first thing in the morning and prioritize all the things that need to be done. Then work through the list one thing at a time. So no social network windows open and no email open, just working on the specific task at hand until it is done.

10 years ago

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CryptoGuru

Yes i agree this is a great topic, it is very hard to stay focused i find more so than when i worked in an office. The main difference is that i am on my own network with no restrictions and i can do anything i want lol. That is a BIG problem for me sometimes because like you said its very easy to get side tracked on YouTube or for me its Bitcoin News. When i wake up in the morning i set a goal or a time that it should take me to get my normal morning routine done. That really helps because as im working and i start to get side tracked i check the time and see that i don't have alot of time left and it encourages me to keep working. Another thing i do is i turn off all desktop notifications and i out my phone to the side and just work. I also work in a garage with a Bitcoin Mining operation inside of it so the noise also keeps me motivated to get the heck out of here as fast as possible hahahaha. im going to buy some hearing protection soon for sure.

10 years ago

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Cristian

That's why I've quit working from home. It wasn't for me, I could make a lot more money but I wasn't focused enough to achieve those goals.
Never the less, maybe at some point in the future, it will be better for me to start again a full freelancing program, I think I would develop my own rigid program or maybe I just find an "office" place just to get into the mental state of mind of going to work.

Because, if you always stay at home, you will never get the same mindset as people actually going to a real workplace.

10 years ago

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EliteWriter

It is a good idea to set several small breaks. For instance, some of those simple games where you have a short 3-5minute round/level. I like to do it as a way of rewarding myself after completing say 3 articles. You can also have a short break by spending 10 minutes on Facebook, or chatting with someone. But avoid keeping the tab open so as not to get distracted. To keep focused you sort of need to punish yourself for most of the time but then if you reward yourself later, once you have completed a set number of tasks you will remain efficient for most of the time.

10 years ago

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dap1900

Surround yourself with silence, but not complete silence; as people tend to focus more, if there're some little noises, like bird whistles. Don't be distracted by phone, or social network. You should have some self-discipline to work from home, too.

10 years ago

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dejah0987

I keep myself focused by first surrounding myself around loving and supporting people who want to see me succeed in life. If I focus hard enough I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. The first step for me to focus better is to set a goal for myself so I have something to work hard for. If I don't have any motivation then I won't get anyhing accomplished. Then I would find a nice and quite environment for me to clear my head and work in a place where there is no distractions. When I convice myself that what I am working hard for is going to be worth it after all is all the motivation I need.

9 years ago

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overcast

I find it really hard to do that myself. I can't focus that easily. Also the amount of efforts it takes to stay focused are more. I usually pay attention to my bank account to stay focused. But that does not help all the time. I think if we consider focusing on other things, it leads to some distraction. So some efforts need to be taken in order to stay focused.

9 years ago

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Lyudmilka7

Stay on track,complete your tasks, distract your self from anything that will distract you.

9 years ago

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StolenKid

I really see myself in this post, when I started as a freelancer, my concentration was pretty vague, but then I started to focus more on my job because of the advantages it gives! First of all, try to close all your social media apps like Facebook, Twitter and then try to ignore them, it may be hard but you will see the results showing up.

Complete the task and if you can, listen to some lo-fi music, trip hop or something instrumental, it works for me! It gets me on deep focus.

9 years ago

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Niyantha

Staying focused is really important when you actually want to get things done. I usually find myself getting lost in thoughts and end up wasting a lot of time that I would have rather used to be productive. As many have suggested, I really do find shutting off social media to be very helpful, and as silly as this may sound, it actually makes a huge difference. I went for days without scrolling through social media and realized how much real time and energy I saved. I made a few other changes to keep myself focused. I started organizng myself and my work. I made to-do lists and managed my time appropriately. I also made sure I took small breaks in regular intervals. I kept myself motivated every time I felt I got distracted. I even adopted meditation in my daily life and it helps a whole lot than I thought it would.

9 years ago

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arachnophobik

Sometimes the way I focus is through fidgeting. Anything I could just hold and place between my thumb and index finger, and I just squeeze, twist, roll it gently. It might not sound like much but it really does help. I'm planning to get a fidget toy soon, I'll probably get a spinner because they said it's much more pleasing for fidgeting than the fidget cube, just so happens that the cube has more variety.

9 years ago

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clara1993

it depends on what I want to focus in or on, for example when I want to prepare for exams and want to memorize some things I wear my headphones and listen to the musics out loud that's my habit to prepare exams, while when I'm working on projects and want to focus hundred percent I sit somewhere silent, no noises otherwise I'll start to think about that song in the background.

9 years ago

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Neiltarquin

I can easily get distracted. My ficus is like of a 3 year old kid. If i am reading, my mind would wander around anf i would notice my self reading the same sentence about 3-4 times. If that is happening, i would psyche up my self to focus. If that wont work. I'd stop everything I'm doing for 5 minutes. It would usually work and keep me finishing things ontime.

9 years ago

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joegirl

It took me a while to have a firm schedule but now I run a tight ship

My day is planned each morning. I stay focused by drawing a list of tasks to be done by end of day, with each task having its own estimated completed time. I also have a list of weekly projects that I tick off. This allows me to know precisely where I am and if I am to outsource any task, I can tick that off as done on my list. I also ensure the TV is not on at all during my work time.

9 years ago

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Meg24

I need to disconnect, it's very easy to get distracted. I found that there is software you can use on your computer for this, it blocks social media and entertainment sites for how long you need it. Self Control is a good one, it really doesn't let you on them for as long as you establish.

9 years ago

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DenisP

Discipline, discipline, and you guessed it, more discipline. There isn't a single thing on this planet that anyone can't do so long as they apply the proper levels of self discipline to themselves. I write down what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how long I want to take. Then, I tell myself if I'm going to be my own boss then I better start listening to myself like I would listen to a boss. Then once I've accomplished what I want to for the day, I reward myself with something like playing a session of video games or browsing useless memes. But until I get something done, no games, no memes.

9 years ago

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PinkTurtle

I totallyget what you mean. I get distract and lose focus so easily at home that
sometimes I start working and the next minute I’m watching youtube videos.
Passed a time I get really lazy and I don’t want to do anything. I used to have
better strong will to work but now it’s getting really “annoying” to do it. So
I’ve been trying to really restrict myself I don’t open Facebook, Ig, or any
other social media what so ever. Also I try not to pay attention to “the world”
– when you work from home it’s really easy to be disturb by other people –kids,
parents, among other distractions- so I put my headsets on and forget the rest
of the world. I also try to do a list of chores that I have to do in a specific
amount of time and try not to extend that time for any reason, like if I’ve got
a deadline. Well I hope it works for you!

9 years ago

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mcbryan080990

All I'm thinking to be a focus on everything I do is my dream. I always keep reminding myself that I should make dream come true. Also thinking my family is another way of making me focus where in all I want is to help them and make their living better. I always think of things that motivate me and positive whatever results I got.

9 years ago

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augusta

I get myself off worries and I only do positive things.Concentrating on things or desires of the heart is really not easy because of all the side distractions especially those above our control.To focus one need to look always at the goals and achievements one will acquire at the end and you'll overlook all distractions.

9 years ago

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Pixie06

Working from home was definitely not easy for me at first as I would easily get distracted. I now have a small office and everyone know that they must not disturb me while I am working. I usually plan my tasks in the morning and I also set deadlines. This has enabled me to complete my tasks on time.

9 years ago

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AmieBotella

this is absolutely true. You must spend quality time on working from the comfort of your home. however, what I do is give myself a break also. I time it. It's like working in an office. I time myself from the break and there will be a time where I don't open my work online. It's a whole new discipline that must be implemented by yourself for your own good too.

9 years ago

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Corzhens

This is not to brag but I have a strong control of my focus which means I can have complete focus when I am working at home. But, of course, the environment has to cooperate. People at home know that when I am using the desktop in the living room, noise is taboo and movements are to a minimum. However, there are times that I allow them to watch tv with a low volume but laughing is not allowed because it can interfere with the focus on my work.

9 years ago

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ballyhara

Well, I tend to have some issues to stay on focus. Honestly, I'm so distracted sometimes, that I'm lucky I haven't been hit by a car or something. Then, I started doing Yoga, and that has helped me a lot. When you practice Yoga, you have to focus on your breathing, your body position, movements, so that helps you to pay attention to what you're doing. That is what my teacher calls, to be aware or be conscious of your position and moment in the world. So, eventually I have noticed that any moment I get distracted, I can be aware of and come back to focus again.

8 years ago

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nrnlss

Wow, thank you for this. I might start doing yoga and see if my attention span increases.

8 years ago

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ballyhara

Well, that really worked for me. Not that I'm super focused right now, but it helped me out a little bit. Also, you can try to do activities that increase your attention like memory games, or meditation. It can be defiant in the beginning, but you will notice the improvement with time.

8 years ago

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mark8625

If my work needed me to be focused then I would be focus no matter what the situations are.
No need to let your attention taken away from you if you have strong focus on what you are doing. Doesnt matter if your pets playing there as long as you have a will to be focused. Ignore them thats the best thing you can do.

8 years ago

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jaymish2

I am the Queen of getting distracted. When working it is tempting to open Facebook, Twitter and other social media. It is tempting to go on to Youtube and watch other funny videos. I recently watched a video on Goal cast that advises that you wake up each morning and your aim should be to get anything that help to change and improve your life done. That's how you prioritize and stay focused. Eat the frog and get it done.

8 years ago

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nrnlss

I feel you, it is really hard to focus if you are distracted with your social media. It js hard to control not to visit social media.

8 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

To keep myself focused, first I start the day communicating with God. I listen to what He wanted me to accomplish for the day by meditating upon His Word. In my workplace, I will write the things that I should comply. Throughout the day, I will move towards the accomplishment of those. I avoid any situations which may detour me and keep me away from my focus for that day.

8 years ago

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nrnlss

That is really a good one, asking help and guidance from God.

8 years ago

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nrnlss

It is very hard for me since I easily get distracted with the noises in my surrounding, so I think of my goals to focus sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

8 years ago

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Seoclerks

How do you keep yourself focused?

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