How to focus on your business

One of the most important things you can do for your business is to make sure you stay focused. Multitasking has been proven to be nothing more than wishful thinking. You just can’t do more than one thing right at a time.

If you want to get more done in less time, here are some ways to stay focused.

Use a calendar

Your calendar is your best friend when it comes to staying focused. Use it to make a list of the things you are supposed to do each day and to set deadlines and checkpoints to make sure you are being effective.

Prioritize

If you have a to-do list, it’s important to prioritize what you’re doing so you can get the most important things done first. Each person’s priorities will be different. The truth is, if you are a small business owner, your first priority each day should be getting the work you need to do for yourself as your “first” customer.

Turn off the noise

Turn off your phone, your cell phone, your email, your social networks and focus on everything you are doing 100%. Don’t focus on all the noise around you. It is very difficult to do, but you will find that the work you produce is of higher quality and that you will get it done faster.

Go for a walk

Whether it’s a walk or another type of exercise or movement … before you get down to work on any project, make sure you move. Inhale deeply, exhale deeply, and clear your mind of all the junk going through it so you can focus.

Your time

Try not to work for more than 90 minutes at a time without a break. Taking frequent breaks where you stay away from your work or project for at least five minutes will do wonders for your ability to concentrate. But don’t use this time as time to check email. Get away from your desk and do something else.

Stop multitasking

It’s gotten crazy that people have started to see multitasking as a virtue. The truth is that it is very inefficient, causes undue stress and does not get things done faster. Also, what it usually does when it is not in focus is of lower quality and it cannot do as much.

Give yourself enough time

Trying to do everything quickly and over-programming is a sure way to lose focus. Instead, take more time than you think it will take to get enough downtime. Being stressed and rushing through things is a way of making mistakes.