There is something we all struggle with. Some more than others but it’s definitely a common pain point for entrepreneurs. We have so much going on, so many hats to wear.
It’s hard to focus and remain focused. I know.
Day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute provides the chance for us to wander off to another task, another project. Sometimes we come to the end of the day and can’t say for sure what we have done. Because we didn’t focus.
Yes, I understand that a distraction could save our life if we are in danger. We do need an alert system in place for survival but we aren’t in a life or death situation throughout our days or even day to day. So we have to limit distractions. And part of our challenge is that switching from one thing to another can feel good, there’s sometimes a rush when starting something new. Isn’t there?
But that rush isn’t worth it when at the end of the day, we still have a lot on our to-do list and not very much accomplished. I’ve learned that if I plan and stick to the plan as much as possible, I’m able to stay focused. Of course, I do have to revisit the plan time to time to make sure it still makes sense. Things change.
Here’s what I do:
#1 Choose no more than 3 projects
I know prioritizing can be difficult. Especially when we have so much to do. But to make progress we have to limit the amount of projects we are working on. Prioritize and then rank projects. Choose the top 3 in order of importance.
#2 Write it down
Write down the 3 projects from step 1. It may seem silly but it helps to see it in writing.
#4 Choose time period
Here is where we decide what is best for the current situation. I usually look at the desired timelines for the deliverables. The longer the timeline, the longer the time period. For something due in 1 year, try 1 month time periods. For something to be delivered in a month, go with a week time period.
#5 Write down deliverables with target date
This is probably self-explanatory but writing it down is a commitment. It also will show any gaps or things not considered. This needs to be done for each project so look at the number of overall deliverables. Ask if it’s realistic and doable. If not, revisit the number of projects or the target dates.
#6 Write down and rank tasks for upcoming time period
We are getting more and more in the weeds but that’s really the point. We want to know what our next steps are at all times. Remain focused by only writing down tasks for the upcoming time period. That could be a week or month. If there are a lot of tasks for a month time period, consider a week time period instead. Or reduce the number of projects.
#7 Confirm, Execute
Review your daily to-do list each morning, look at each item and ask if it needs to be done to complete one of your chosen projects. If not, get rid of. If it is needed, then do it today!
On this entrepreneur’s journey, we have to focus. This requires us to use various skills. From decision making and planning to self-managing. We decide what is important and needs to be done before other things. We plan by breaking down the projects into deliverables and deliverables into tasks. And we use our daily to-do list to manage our time throughout the day. Focusing is not easy but it’s doable as long as we make it a daily habit.
How do you keep focused?
Great tips! Thanks!