💡How To Boost Your Efficiency by Choosing to Focus on One thing Only

Focus seems to be a pretty rare commodity these days! Our attention spans are diminishing by the second. We’re finding it harder and harder to concentrate.

And while tech has made our lives infinitely simpler (I certainly wouldn’t be here typing my blog if it wasn’t for it) but at the same time, it’s made us into creatures of distraction. Whether we like to admit or not. And distraction is the enemy of progress. Distraction is what stops us from reaching our potential let alone finish our task at hand.

It means our minds aren’t fully with us…they’re drifting off. It means we’re always waiting for that ‘ping’ to hit out phone. So much so that we check it ten times before it actually does! It’s like running to our front door every 2mins to check if someone’s there. Sounds bizarre but that’s exactly what we’re doing. Different door; same concept.

It’s why we mindlessly scroll through Twitter without properly paying attention to half of what we’re reading. I even catch myself looking at my mailbox intermittently when I know I haven’t received a single bit of mail. It’s like we’re on auto-pilot. Our phones that should be making our lives easier are actually making us way more distracted.  

Attention!

It’s no surprise then that Tik Tok and Snapchat are so popular. They require drops of our attention. Look at a pic for 10 seconds max and then whoosh, it disappears. Just as quickly as it fades from your memory. While Tik Tok does their best to keep us engaged for all their short dances.

When I had all sorts of social media (from Insta to Facebook), I noticed that I was constantly checking my phone. I was hooked to it. It made me a more anxious person as I was stupidly waiting for those likes to hit my feed and feeling the need to respond to everything, instantly.

Luckily I only had social media for about four months! But back in high school, I had Snapchat for a good few years. Probably five. And that was a whole different story. No pun intended! 

At the heart of it all, we aren’t ever truly focused. Least of all with our pesky phones around. Without us even noticing and realising, they’re stealing our precious attention away from what we want to, and away from what we should be doing. Whether it’s something as simple as reading the news or completing that work project. Whatever it is, we’re distracted. And it’s bad news. Our minds are simply elsewhere.  

If you’re finding yourself getting too distracted by social media, simply keep your phone in another room when you’re working on important tasks. Ones that need your undivided attention. Something that I do is to have a one hour time slot during the day where I wouldn’t be allowed to check my phone. At the start it’s challenging but you’ll soon see just how much you actually can cope without your phone. Try it! 

Hone In

But there’s one thing we can do to claw back our attention. But not for attention’s sake. To make us really excel at whatever it is we’re doing. Because we could all do with a little efficiency-boost. And this one is one hundred percent free. All it takes is some, well, concentration! Plus, a healthy dose of effort and self-control.

And that is to Focus On One Thing At A Time. And one thing only. 

By doing ten things at once, we can’t possibly master any of them. Ever heard saying ‘Jack of all traits, master of none’? Well, it’s essentially this. We’ll never be masters if we try to conquer too many things. It’s gotta be one thing that we really focus on.

That we divert most our efforts to. And through consistency, perseverance and grit we’ll be able to master it. But this won’t happen by doing hundreds of things at once. It’ll just rattle your brain and won’t allow you to master your craft, in whatever area that may be from painting to politics to portraiture to personal finance!

You’ve not only gotta give it time, but deep focus, too. And focus truly comes from doing one thing at a time. Apart from our awesome mums who can seamlessly juggle work, children and the household not to mention all the rest that comes with it! 

One Thing At A Time

I limit myself to one news app. One payments app. One social media app. One book at a time. And one hobby. Sure, I could have multiple news apps and several payment apps with a never-ending amount of hobbies but then, my mind will be all over the place. And I need it, in one place! 

Take the hobbies, for instance. I have several hobbies, sure. But the one I chose to focus on is writing. I love writing (and personal finance, duh!) but I knew that to become a better writer, I must do this as much as I can. To practice. Day in day out. If I had three other hobbies rolling about, I’d certainly not be able to get much better at writing. Or the other two hobbies, for that matter. 

At the end of the day, our brains are machines. And just like machines, when they start to get overwhelmed (more like overdosed) with being subject to far too much stimulus, they start to slow down. And that’s the last thing we want. We want our brains to be operating at top speed. Not snail-mode. Let’s start to slowly give our brains a little less noise so that they’ll give us back a little more concentration. The kind that’ll help turbocharge our skills.

It means dialling back on the social media, the number of books you’re currently reading, the number of hobbies you’re pursuing and the amount of side gigs you’re involved in.

Because, I hate to tell you, you can’t do it all. You can’t be reading ten books at once and being fully present in all them. You can’t be running five side hussles and raking it in in each and every one! If you can, well dear reader, you’re superman!

For me at least, I just can’t do it. I find one at a time is how I’ll fully absorb whatever is I’m doing and be able to give it my full, undivided attention. 

Because, to truly master anything, it requires crazy amounts of attention. You want your brain to be with you, in the moment, doing what you’re doing, not wandering elsewhere. 

We only have a certain amount of energy each day. Let’s channel it to that one thing that really matters. 

One thing. You can do it. 

And watch your talents soar. 

Disclaimer: This blog is not investment or financial advice. It is my opinion only. This blog is not a personal recommendation to buy/sell any security, or to adopt any such investment strategy. Always do your own research before you commit to any investment.