In our increasingly complex work environments, true deep focus is a scarce resource. At the same time, focus is one of the most important keys to success. We present two strategies that you can use in your daily work to focus better and thus become more effective.
For many, everyday life often turns into a race against time that in the end leads to frustration and inefficiency. Important tasks weigh on us all day and fall behind schedule, and in the evenings we try to pull it all together with tired brains. Surely there must be a better way to plan our days and act so that we become effective and make the most of our brain’s resources?
We are getting worse at focusing
Author Cal Newport writes in his book Deep Work that the ability to focus deeply is becoming increasingly rare, while it’s the very skill we truly need in today’s work life. As our working lives are more and more built on real-time collaboration, we’re losing the ability to use our time with true focus. The physical and digital worlds are becoming more integrated, and it’s more important than ever to be present in the moment in order to react consciously and on short notice. Distractions in our increasingly complex work situations are so numerous that the opportunity to carve out time for deep concentration becomes more and more rare. The result is that the more complex and pre-planned tasks, the ones we should spend more time on, are being pushed aside.
On top of that, the brain is fundamentally programmed to react, meaning we’re built to respond to whatever shows up around us. When we allow that reactive mode to take over more space in our days, it becomes even harder to concentrate on what we’ve already planned.
Focus – your most valuable asset
The limited resource in daily life isn’t time – it’s your ability to concentrate. You can think of it as a battery that holds 3–4 hours of energy each day. You need that energy to solve complex tasks. Once it’s spent, you’ll only have energy left for routine work.
Daniel Goleman, psychologist and journalist, writes in his book Focus that focus is the hidden driver behind success. Many of us are knowledge workers and spend much of our time on “thinking work,” which is all about processing and refining information. This requires the ability to concentrate on a deep level – a skill that’s at risk of fading unless you actively practice and use strategies to create deep focus throughout your workday.
Deep focus and acting in real time cannot be combined – the brain simply doesn’t have that ability.
To tap into deep focus for extended periods, you need to actively use strategies that support you in this developmental journey. Without a clear method for reaching optimal focus, you risk ending up in a scattered state – constantly trying to regain the thread and only experiencing brief moments of quality focus.
Two strategies to find deep focus and master your day
To be effective in your work and to make the most of your brain’s limited resources when it comes to focusing fully on individual tasks, you can apply two strategies. The first is about how to master your day by planning it in a way that allows for focused work. The second strategy covers the tools you can use to quickly reach deep focus during your workday. We outline these strategies below, step by step.
Master your day by taking action early in the morning
- Review your calendar and book your next session (preferably tomorrow) where you block at least one hour, ideally 90 minutes, for your own focused work early in the morning.
Example: Wednesday morning, 07:30–08:30 (some people prefer to start as early as 05:00). - Ask yourself what would be the most valuable thing to accomplish in your work over the next six months. Then write down what you can concretely do in one hour of focused work.
Example: If your goal is to launch a new product package within six months, write “Draft product sheet” – something specific and actionable. Don’t write “Product development,” which is too abstract. - Go to bed on time. Sleep is one of the brain’s most essential resources for recovery. On average, people in Sweden sleep one hour less than they need.
- Get up as soon as your alarm goes off and start your day’s plan immediately. Don’t let anything else distract you.
Reach deep focus quickly during your workday
- Write down your most important tasks on a list and choose which one to focus on.
- Turn off all distractions:
- Set all social tools like chat, email etc. to offline mode or pause notifications.
- Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” or airplane mode.
- Move to a place where you won’t be interrupted and use headphones or whatever helps you shut out distractions.
- Work in short sprints of 25 minutes where you practice deep focus. Use a timer to stay on track. Take a short break after each sprint to let your brain recover.
- Schedule recovery time. The brain can’t handle deep focus for eight hours straight. Aim for three or four 25-minute sprints with short breaks between, then take a longer break or do easier tasks to let your brain rest properly.
The so-called Pomodoro Technique, which this strategy is based on, is highly effective for quickly achieving deep focus during the workday and creating a healthy balance between concentration and recovery. In addition to benefits like deep focus and brain recovery, this technique also helps you:
- Get better at handling distractions.
- Reduce the number of long and meaningless meetings in your day.
- Break down, simplify and organize tasks more efficiently.
- Improve your time management when it comes to goals, deadlines, and organizing your days.
- Create shared understanding within your team around taskmanagement.
- Enhance team communication around planning, assigning and managing tasks.
Need support in developing your self-leadership? Or does your team need to collaborate more effectively? Contact us or explore our range of courses and trainings to find out how we can help you improve your work environment and collaboration.