Maintaining Focus

Many people struggle to remain focused.  They get side tracked and procrastinate and never get around to doing what they are supposed to be doing. There is an easy fix for that. And it involves asking yourself a question. Or rather several questions.

The main question to ask yourself when you are struggling to maintain focus is, “why.”

Why are you working on whatever the project is? What is it you hope to accomplish by working on it? In this context, the question why can help you find the motivation you need to finish the task or stay on track. Instead of focusing on the task, you now know WHY you are doing it and WHY it matters if you don’t.

I often find that if I am stuck it’s usually because what I was doing wasn’t working and I just wasn’t’ willing to admit that to myself.  By asking myself WHY I am working on a project, I remind myself of what it is I am really trying to accomplish. Often, we get so caught up in the task itself we get blinders on and forget that the problem we are solving is actually just one of many possible ways we could be fixing our real problem. Asking why helps you refocus on your real problem and when you do that, you can find other ways of solving it.

The final way asking yourself WHY helps you maintain focus is because sometimes the answer to why I am doing something is nothing. I have no good reason to do it. And when I realize that, I allow myself to not do it anymore.

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of things on my plate. Getting sidetracked is super easy. When I ask myself why I am doing any particular task, I can prioritize my tasks! What is really important and what isn’t can only be ascertained if you ask yourself WHY you are doing those things.  It’s a lot easier to maintain focus when you are able to concentrate on the things that really matter and ignore the things that don’t.

So the next time you find yourself struggling to focus, ask yourself why.

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