Hot answers tagged focus
15
As an easily distracted reader, I’d be more than happy to share some of the measures I have been using. But first I believe we should go into the reading mode with a clear goal: is the reading for leisure, structural knowledge, or supplemental information? Knowing this will help us decide on the best strategy.
Leisure reading
For leisure reading I’d just ...
14
I would recommend that you make sure that every important item has its dedicated spot. For my keys and my wallet this is a kind of place mat on my desk. Every time I arrive at home my keys go there along with my wallet. If the keys aren't there, they are in my left pant pocket or the left pocket of my jacket.
For other things there are document drawers ...
13
The goal is not to try to be free from thoughts or to resist them. Instead welcome the thought, acknowledge it then say goodbye to it. Dedicating time to try and not think about it will inevitably lead to you thinking about it. So just let it happen and be very passive with it. Thoughts will come and go easily, they only stick around when we focus on them, ...
11
After recently going through the job application process, and starting as a graduate consultant in a technical company, I can empathise a great deal with your situation.
Here are some general tips I use to optimise the time I have to learn new things:
Understand the purpose behind why you are required to learn something?
If you are going to be doing ...
8
There is no quick solution to this.
Okay, there is. Read the other comments for some good tips. However, the problem is deeper than that, and if you won't fix it, the problem will keep returning to you later.
Pushing yourself, threatening yourself, punishing yourself, etc. those are all short-term solutions which may save the day, but will leave you more ...
7
I recognize the same thing in myself, and have realized that I go in cycles. Sometimes, I just don't have it in me. For instance, I tinker with electronics in my spare time, and I'm building a synthesizer. I've got it all designed, it works on my breadboards, and I just need to take the time to solder it to a PCB. Soldering is my favorite part of the ...
7
A couple of approaches here:
The immediate approach- take a deep breath. Be logical. Try to be methodical. Does your company have a procedure for incidents or emergencies?
More recently, this study, shows the value of checklists and protocols for reducing risk in emergency scenarios!
The conscious assessment approach (which I learned because my wife was ...
6
During listening
Be an active listener, not a passive listener. Give some reaction sometimes during the listening (such as nodding, showing your surprise and other feelings etc.).
Try to focus on the main subject instead of the words.
If possible, give feedback about what you just listened sometimes. This will help both to you and your interlocutor to more ...
6
if your routine going on for sometimes then it is really the time to break out of your routine now. yes breaking your project into small pieces as pointed out by @gekkostate will definitely help.
1) i think that taking some sort of a break is also important to bring the motivation back for example if you can take 1 month all fun trip to somewhere leaving ...
6
how do you get yourself to focus?
I am trying to get into the "zone".
We all know that knowledge workers work best by getting into "flow", also known as being "in the zone", where they are fully concentrated on their work and fully tuned out of their environment. They lose track of time and produce great stuff through absolute concentration. This is ...
6
As you can't simply pull the LAN cable and go offline, you could try to increase the subjective penalty for using the internet.
Create artificial lag. If loading a web site takes two seconds more than usual, you will think twice before google-ing cute kittens. This is a parameter you can adjust until you have found a perfect penalty vs. productivity ...
5
Before I start working I'm starting with affirmations for my work. At the same time it's like a meditation since it calms you down as well.
I have a predefined list of sentences which I repeat (aloud if possible) as an excercise. It is important to fight the urge to get to work immediately, fight the feeling of wasting time, it will pay off later on.
...
5
have a problem you need to solve that a form will help with
thoroughly understand the problem
draft a form that solves at least part of the problem
apply good human factors design principles to the form
optionally, apply good graphic design principles to the form
test the form in practice. If it doesn't work, repeat from #3
This is a somewhat ...
5
This is a tricky one, I've dealt with this same issue most of my life, and you'd have no idea how many half-finished projects I have lying about. Or maybe you do. First, though, you should be commended for having the mindset of a lifelong learner. Your curious mind in in an excellent place to soak up knowledge.
To the matter at hand, here's how the process ...
5
Trying to save some "rote" tasks for this time period can be a good strategy: you'd have to do them anyways at some point during the day, so might as well do them when you're not at your peak productivity.
What you have for lunch might be a factor as well; abstain from sugary drinks and high-carb food that might spike your blood sugar level and cause a ...
5
This question is pretty broad!! However, I do have some general actions/tips for you. I've used most of them and I sleep very well... not that I am super productive, haha...
Practice conscious living instead of just productive living:
In any case, you'll need to develop a conscious sense during the day. You may have achieved more than you think, and ...
5
Joshua,
First you have to make a no escape clause, burn your boat, sink or swim decision that you are going to learn this new skill.
I use an online timer http://e.ggtimer.com/ and establish a chunk of time that I'm going to devote to this new skill. I like 90 minutes and once the timer goes off I get up stretch, get a drink of water, walk around a little ...
5
I am so sorry for the emotional pain you are going through. It is difficult to get up and face the world after it has come crashing down on you. From what you said in a comment you are going through a period of grief which is hard to handle. Believe me I know, as I lost my beloved 5 years ago and of course I had to continue to work since it was now my only ...
5
I will block out time on my calendar each day for similar tasks. For example, in my practice I am not the best at returning calls, so I block out time day for making and returning calls. If you accept that everything on your calendar is an promise, either to yourself or someone else (in the case of an appointment), you might find it much easier to know out ...
5
The consequences of your (in)action won't be real until you actually suffer from it.
If you want to go that negative route, visualize that suffering: the embarrassment, the realization that you lost that time and cannot retrieve it, whatever motivates you to do something with a longer-term payoff than the fleeting "thrill" a few hours of video games.
Or, ...
4
Motivation is something that someone else can't give you. I've had a similar problem with getting work done. Here are a few things I would suggest to get some work done.
List the benefits of completing the code
Break the code/work into small parts so it doesn't feel long and tedious
I am a programmer myself and this is recurring problem that I face. ...
4
Nearly every form on davidseah.com was designed with a general-purpose vector illustration program called Adobe Illustrator. This program allows you to draw shapes and place text. You can also perform operations like grouping, scaling, aligning, spacing and duplicating to a high degree of precision. While Illustrator costs several hundred dollars, there is a ...
4
As a fellow programmer I recognize the problem and have struggeled with this issue for a long time. My solution is to program for about six hours a day with a few breaks in. Sometimes I use the Pomodoro technique to get a better focus but in my experience 8 hours is to much.
So what I do to get some focus is indeed some fitness. Mostly, at the start of the ...
4
In a similar vein to Scooter's response:
Edit your hosts file and add EVERY site that you ever use to procrastinate. Now think about the sites that you would go to with all of those blocked, and add them too. Repeat until you can't think of any more. Facebook, twitter, linkedin, reddit, digg, hacker news, Stack sites not related to programming, news ...
4
You match my cycle - I am most productive with analytic work early in the morning and late in the evening, but mid afternoon that part of my brain is at a low ebb. For me this isn't about motivation or willpower, just that I have discovered over time what I am good at at different times of day.
I discovered that that does seem to be a good time for me to ...
4
Here are some things you can do to change your routine immediately:
Fix your sleep schedule. Tonight. Go to bed around midnight and sleep for 7 to 8 hours (in 1.5 hour increments / sleep cycles). Do not sleep past 8 hours. Use sleep aids if you are unable to fall asleep (your body will not want to due to your internal clock).
Plan our your work load for ...
4
Make your studying a game (gamification).
If you like games have you considered trying to create one?
This also many be an indication that you don't like what you are studying.
Your question is an example of instant gratification versus deferred gratification. For example, you are given 20 bucks. There are two choices: either spend it now (instant) or ...
3
Practice concentration/breath meditation.
There are lots of ways to do this, but the basics are as follows:
Pick a rhythmic activity to concentrate upon, such as the feeling of breathe coming in and going out of your body. Or the feeling of air rushing in and out of your nose.
Be attentive but gentle; if you find yourself thinking about something else ...
3
I have this problem too. I mitigate it by:
Always putting objects in a dedicated spot
Putting objects I shouldn't forget about in prominent places, like at eye height on the stairs
If you do the latter too much, you'll end up creating familiarity and you will no longer notice these objects. Keep it fresh.
Furthermore I strengthen my awareness by:
...
3
The things I tend to misplace are new or temporary things that don't yet have a defined place. This can particularly be a problem if you live with someone else who might tidy up after you...
My solution is to have In Boxes in strategic spots (office, kitchen, and garage). Anything that doesn't have a place, or anything my wife knows is mine but doesn't ...
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