Get into the office, check your email, check social media – oh there’s another email, someone stops by your desk, “did I lock the car?”, grab a cup of coffee, stop for a quick chat on the way back from coffee….does this sound familiar? Before you know it it’s 10am and the to do list you had planned on has fallen by the wayside.

Those that consistently succeed know that being focused is essential to their achievement. If you have the desire to go beyond where you are today you’re going to need to Focus.

Below you will find 3 ways that focus will lead you to success:

1. You’ll stop feeling overwhelmed

Ever feel like you’re going in circles and not getting much done? In today’s society we have so many distractions and are often overwhelmed to the point where we sometimes just stop producing. A simple way to stop this feeling of being overwhelmed is to stop multitasking and focus on just one task at a time. By stopping the multi-tasking treadmill you will, by default, shut out the distractions around you. Before you know it, your task will be done and you’ll be ready to focus on your next challenge.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson

2. You get more done

You may have been taught that multitasking allows you to get more done since you are doing work in parallel. The reality is you get less done. I once attended an Agile training class to learn how to get projects done in short bursts called Sprints and how doing work in a serial manner, one task after the other, is more effective than doing things in parallel.

During the course we ran an experiment. We took a series of tasks and timed how long it took our group to do them in parallel and then again in serial. I thought for sure the simultaneous efforts would surpass the individual, one task at a time, effort. I was completely wrong. We timed each effort and in the end the stopwatch gave the victory to the individual task effort. Needless to say I was surprised but learned a valuable lesson.

3. Your confidence will grow

As I’ve applied the lessons I learned from that Agile course to my personal and work life, I’ve definitely seen an increase in my productivity. A side benefit is that as I’ve gotten more done, my confidence has grown and want to do more has grown.

As you gain confidence, you’re more apt to want to venture out and take some risks. It’s no secret that being outside your comfort zone is where you will begin to see more success. However, many lack the confidence to take that risk.  Focus will help you grow your confidence.

“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.” – Blake Lively

Conclusion

I think you’d agree that focus is a vital component to achieving success. The three points above are a self-perpetuating cycle that will lead you to the success you desire. By taking the time to focus on one thing at a time this will stop those feelings of being overwhelmed leading you to get more done.

As you get more done your confidence will grow, causing you to want to do more and step outside your comfort zone. When you are able to step outside your comfort zone you will do things differently and doing things differently is what you need to produce new results and success.

What tips would you give to help people focus more? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!