There’s a reason some people accomplish more than others. It’s simple: ultra-productive people have learned the ability to focus on one thing at a time. They understand how to channel their energy into whatever project they’re currently working on. Get more done: focus.
I have a friend who always has 10 or 15 projects going at once. He’ll work a little on this and a little on that. Sooner or later he loses inspiration and he winds up with a garage full of half done projects. He lacks focus.
Good photographers inherently know this: You can only focus on one photograph at a time.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been guilty of trying to keep too many projects going. But in the last year, I’ve figured something out. I’ve learned to focus on one thing at a time. That doesn’t mean I only have one project going at any given time. I still have several projects running. I just don’t try to juggle them all in the same day. I focus on the one that’s most important.
A 5-Step Strategy To Learn How To Focus
- Count your blessings: How many different talents do you have? If you’re like many creative people, you may have multiple talents. Many online entrepreneurs are writers, bloggers, speakers, podcasters, and they’re good with business and technology, too. I was blessed with the ability to write books, blogs, songs, poems, and more. I can play music and do a little photography, too. I also have a large variety of interests.
- Know your limits: When I first started blogging, I had no clue what I was doing. I had no focus. I wrote a book. I wrote poems. I wrote songs. I wrote about writing. I wrote about forgiveness. I wrote about blogging. I wrote about minimalism. I used my own photography. I used others’ photography. I was all over the board. In October of 2014, I was trying to juggle four blogs. Enough. I knew something had to change.
- Choose your best: I reached a point where I had to make some critical decisions. I was either going to flounder or focus. I chose to focus. I’m phasing out all of my blogs but Hip Diggs and my personal Dan Erickson blog. I’ve decided to focus on three things: writing, simple living and music. This is who I am.
- Know what’s important: Even with these three simple themes, I still have multiple projects. I’ve got books, ebooks, blogs, songwriting, and course and business development to consider. Here’s how I work. I work on the project that needs the most attention. I focus on that project solely for several days to several weeks at a time. Once I get enough completed, I switch to another project and focus on it for awhile.
- Feed the machine: Creativity and inspiration need to be nourished. I need a healthy dose of rest and relaxation from time to time. I need to read good books. I need to socialize and network with like-minded people. These activities help to feed the creative machine. They help to provide the balance I need so I can keep my focus.
When You Do Something, Give It Your All
Focus entirely on that one thing. If you’re writing a blog post, focus on it until it’s completed. If you’re recording a song, focus on it until you get a good demo. If you’re editing a book: focus. If you’re taking a walk… you’ve got this. There’s power in doing one thing at a time.
