As small business owners, we have to do it all. We must manage our daily activities, set goals, and plan the long-term steps it will take to get there. Along the way, we can forget that we can drop the ball in different areas and have to regroup and rush to get back on schedule. It can be pretty frustrating, and we can beat ourselves up for not doing what we were “supposed” to do.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Topics
- Four words to live by, with questions to ask yourself about your business.
- Add activities to your calendar and set the alarm.
- Be true to you and your time.
- Plan your day the night before.
- Pick the most challenging thing at the time when you are most alert.
- Eat energizing food throughout the day.
- Create a reminder poster of your long-term goals.
- Remove reminder notifications on all devices.
- Remove everything from the desk but the task at hand.
- Wear headphones or earbuds!
Key Takeaways
- Small business owners often struggle to stay focused because of personal distractions and competing priorities.
- To stay focused in business, consider four key principles: Live, Love, Work, and Inspire.
- Implement practical strategies such as planning the night before, setting calendar reminders, and minimizing distractions in your workspace.
- Eat energizing foods, schedule challenging tasks during peak alertness, and create visual reminders of long-term goals to enhance focus.
- Remove unnecessary notifications and distractions from your workspace to improve productivity and concentration.
Recently, I spoke with a client who was concerned about how much money was coming in. As we hashed out what had happened in the last six months to get her to where she was, she realized something. She recalled that her focus wasn’t on the business, but on her blended family concerns and what she needed to do in her personal life to help her stepson get into college. While doing those tasks, she realized that time was quickly consumed by other essential tasks. Now she is paying the price for that lack of focus.
I’ve found this same scenario happens to my other clients (affiliate) and me. It’s not that we don’t want to spend time on our business. We just need to focus on other, more pressing things. But by doing this, we lose focus on a particular goal and, as a result, lose steam in completing it.
Four words to live by, with questions to ask yourself about your business.
Live: Are you committed to your business and your lifestyle? What is your long-term goal? Does it inspire you to keep moving forward?
Love: Do you tell people who work with you why you appreciate them? Have you shown it to them regularly?
Work: Are you positively contributing to society?
Inspire: Are you helping others be the best they can be?
The good news is that all is not lost. You can recover from a busy life fairly quickly. Just a few adjustments will get you back on track.
To stay focused amid distractions, here are nine ways to stay focused in your business.
Add activities to your calendar and set the alarm.
Setting the alarm is the key, especially if you are doing other things and forget to complete items on your to-do list. These reminders help you see how much time it will take, so you can block out as much time as you need.
Be true to you and your time.
Underestimating how long something takes is frustrating and counterproductive. If you underestimate how long tasks take, add half an hour or an hour to the estimate to give yourself a buffer.
Plan your day the night before.
Planning your day the night before works wonders. Even better, visualize finishing the projects and completing them to your satisfaction. This tip works great if the task is something you can accomplish on your own.
Pick the most challenging thing at the time when you are most alert.
If you are alert in the morning, schedule your most challenging assignment then. Plan your most time-consuming project if you are more alert at 3:00 pm. This tip will help you keep going and make it more likely that you’ll minimize distractions at that point.
Eat energizing food throughout the day.
Snacks (affiliate) that mess with your blood sugar are a productivity disaster. Instead, pick vegetables like celery or proteins like hard-boiled eggs for the prolonged energy you need to minimize distractions.
Create a reminder poster of your long-term goals.
Make a post stating your long-term business goals. Review it a few times daily, especially when you feel distracted. This will give you a quick reminder to help you stay focused.
Remove reminder notifications on all devices.
Removing pop-ups on your devices will considerably reduce distractions. And don’t forget your smartwatches, phones, and tablets.
Remove everything from the desk but the task at hand.
Multitasking is a surefire way to distract yourself. So, instead, physically remove all papers, notebooks, cellphones, tablets, and other computers from your desk (affiliate). Make your desk (affiliate) clean and clear of anything that could distract you from what you need to do.
Wear headphones or earbuds!
By removing the noise, you may be able to focus on what needs to be completed, especially if it is something where you need to hear your thoughts. It helps because it lets you hear your own voice.
Well, there you have it. I hope this helps you stay focused when everything seems to be distracting you in your business. Let’s continue the conversation. Are there any tips you want to share that help you stay focused when you have many distractions? Please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Are you looking for more articles on staying focused? Here are three to give you even more ideas.
Ways To Determine Your Small Business Focus
7 Easy and Useful Ways to Keep Focused During The Day
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7 Ways to Refocus your Business Onto What Matters Most
Early in the year is the perfect time to reflect on what the last year brought and what opportunities are available in the new year.
Easy Ways To Stay Focused in Your Business
Many of the small business clients I work with are home-based and get distracted by the tasks at hand, forgetting to stay focused on their business.
How to Stay Focused In Your Small Business
Have you ever tried to focus on a task while sitting in your office and found it impossible to stop being distracted?
Recent Business Owner Focused Posts for Inspiration
I hope this new year finds you well. If you are new to my blog, I wanted to reshare the posts I wrote last year, just in case you missed them.
Small Business Mantras to Keep You Focused and Moving Forward
Over the years, I have found that mantras have helped me keep going and stay focused through turbulent, uncertain times.
Time Blocking Tips To Keep You Focused in Your Business
Time blocking your day works well for small business owners and solopreneurs, and it helps you see what you have done throughout the day.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate) and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
