“Relationships are important, but stay focused on all the things that are important.
Figure out what you want.”
~ Daren Kagasoff
Learning to Stay Focused
Staying laser focused, especially when you'd rather zone-out, can be a challenge. In my personal life I have some pretty incredible friends and co-workers.
There are a lot of things I love about them but I’m always amazed at how intensely laser-focused some of them can be.
For example, I have one friend in particular who astounds me with her ability to remain focused, even when she has a million things (think kids, husband, work, email, and other demands) coming at her at once.
Somehow she’s always able to remain completely focused on each task while juggling a multitude of others. It’s amazing to see.
I wanted to know if there was a way I could train myself to be more like her in this regard. As it turns out, there is!
Why We Lose Focus
Our brains have something called the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) that’s located right in front. The PFC is like the command center of everything we do and say and it helps us to make decisions, be organized, use good judgement, and stay focused. Some people can have a poorly developed PFC while others’ are quite strong.
This interests me so I decided to do a bit of research into some of the things we can do to help strengthen our PFC. By actively working on these 4 strategies you can actually better develop your PFC!
Some Ways to Stay Focused
- Envision what’s important to you and what your goals are.
Through knowing what’s important in your life, and what your goals are, you are better able to experience gratitude and work towards reaching your objectives. In order to do this, write down the following headings and subheadings:
Relationships
-Partner
-Children
-Family
Work or School
-Happiness
-Growth
Money
-Short-term goals
-Long-term goals
Self
-Body
-Mind
Spirit
Once you have your list, write down what’s most important to you beside each heading. Continue to revise or add to this list for the next few days and keep it somewhere you can see it frequently.
By focusing on your list on a consistent basis, you will be able to supervise yourself and change your behaviours to make sure you are always working towards your goals.
- Look at the Big Picture.
If you know you’re about to do something that may not be beneficial in helping you reach your goals, look at the bigger picture and ask yourself one key question: “what will happen if I…?”
For example: “What will happen if I eat this big cheeseburger and fries?” or “What will happen if I put off this project my boss assigned me?”
By asking yourself this one simple question you can help to refocus your behaviors to help you reach your goals.
Research has proven time and time again that meditation is not only great for the brain but also helps ease stress, anxiety and depression, and can also help increase activity within the PFC.
Meditation does take some practice but it’s time well-spent. If you’ve never tried meditation before, why not give it a try! Find a quiet spot, close your eyes and begin focusing on your breathing. If you find your thoughts drifting to other things like work or the kids, return to focusing on your breathing. Initially you can start with just a couple of minutes but try and work up to 10-20 minutes if possible. Once your meditation session is completed you’ll feel more energized and ready to take on any task!
By regularly practicing all of these steps you will absolutely notice a difference your ability to remain laser-focused.
If you’re still having trouble staying focused, however, you might want to consider hypnotherapy as a tool to help you. Hypnotherapy can assist you in identifying what’s important to you, what your goals are, and help you develop focus.
Why don't you call me today for a free consultation. Your questions are always welcomed and I will do my best to answer them. No obligation.
