1. Write out a to-do list of business and personal activities each night before going to sleep. At first, quantify your list, don’t qualify it. Then, prioritize each item with an A, B or C in order of importance. The priorities are determined on what your bigger picture or purpose (i.e.. business or life plan) is. (If you haven’t got a larger purpose…this could be a big part of the problem of following through and lack of focus.) The longer term vision you have will give you perspective and make your priorities more meaningful. As you go through each activity, cross the item from your list and take a breath. For a short moment, savor the feeling of having planned and followed through. It doesn’t matter that your victories are small. You will start looking forward to that good feeling (it’s about the brain producing dopamine, creating happy feelings). As you start looking forward to these happy feelings, you’ll start doing what causes these feelings. (Bartender, I’ll have a little Pavlov with my habit change, please!)
2. Learn to say No! Not in a nasty way, obviously. But how much time do you spend “people pleasing” rather than focusing on what needs to be done? For most, this creates a schedule of chaos and animosities towards others and perhaps themselves.
3. As you begin another activity, take a breath or two, maybe with your eyes closed, and silently use your inside voice to tell yourself what and how you’re going to perform. Your last thought going into a situation is generally the level of performance you’ll live up or down to.
4. Block your time as best you can to do your business phone calls, check your emails, prospect, personal errands, etc., in the same period of blocked time. The preparation and tear down of the many things you do can be as time consuming and disconcerting as the tasks themselves. Streamline a la Henry Ford.
5. If you’re constantly blitzed by phone calls, record an outgoing message to the effect that you will return calls during specific hours. Bright shiny objects can come in the form of “break your concentration” phone calls. If you have kids, seniors or clients that need faster/immediate response, set up a special emergency ringtone or dedicated “hot line” that you will respond to immediately. Condition yourself to stay focused on the decided priority to it’s completion.
6. In a business meeting/seminar/conversation/study session etc.,if you catch your mind meandering, don’t become a drama queen and start beating yourself up (that’s what you have friends and relatives for). Instead, take a breath, and with appreciation, recognize that you have refocused. As you do this little attitudinal adjustment each time you mentally wander, your wanderings will become less and your awareness greater. Small shifts in consciousness make for huge bottom line changes.
7. In conversations one on one or in small groups, if you miss a name or piece of information, nicely ask for a repeat. If a name, repeat it out loud. Don’t be intimidated asking for a person to repeat themselves. Show interest up front and gain greater respect in the relationship. This is obviously a small point, but how ARE you at remembering names? Pay attention. It’s not about your memory, which is an easier excuse. If you’ve gotten mentally lazy, get back in the game.
8. Learn a mental discipline. So much scientific proof speaks of an active mind becoming a healthy and younger mind. Stay engaged by learning self hypnosis. All the books on the subject of neuroscience refer to brain plasticity or stimulating parts of the brain responsible for developing focus and concentration, improving memory, decision making and making lifestyle changes. Many of these books suggest self hypnosis as the perfect mental exercise. For the best available go to barryeisen.com.
Wherever you are, be there.
Be Present and live in the Now!
