26 May Understand Priorities To Increase Focus!

A lot of us think that we need to follow some exercises to increase focus and attention. We read 5 top tips in a magazine for being an efficiency warrior or we may even see something on Facebook for productivity- but here is the deal!

Efficiency lies in how well you manage attention, not time.  From the minute we wake up, a lot of thoughts compete for our attention, but it seems to amplify when we hit work. This has to be done, and that has to done, but how do we do it all?

Effectiveness is in the hands of anybody who manages his attention.

For example, to write a great blog, I have to share meaningful information that is going to make a difference to you so, I need to focus and keep my self away from distractions. This involves battling stimuli that is distracted by an intense and LOUD history conversation two people are having beside me, and trying to pay 100% attention to what I process and convert into words here.

I can spend several hours trying to think and work on delivering quality blogs, but if I spend those important hours overhearing work-related or non work-related chatter, I will have mismanaged my time. I have not placed my attention and focus where it needs to be.

So how can I pay real attention to what I have to do?

Get into the habit of prioritizing and not time management.

The key is to name my priorities. I got into this habit when something really horrible happened.

I was getting caught up with a lot of things to handle in life. From daily chores like cooking and cleaning to making time to workout and plan healthy diets to coming to work and giving it 100 % attention, I had A LOT on my place! This really hit home when I was reprimanded because one task would always outweigh the other and I just couldn’t find a balance. In an effort to balance everything, I figured that I had to prioritize. I figured that I would do whatever I do without being distracted by another thing. This meant that when I was at work, I was focused on working and when I was home, I wasn’t thinking about work.

I had to do more to develop this habit besides getting my mental space right.

So what I did was to simply let go of how I had been making decisions and to start ASKING questions. I asked myself what my intention at work was. My intention was to satisfy my purpose in life, and support my family. So, even if it meant compromising on some things, I was able to focus my energy on what is vital right now.  Investing our energy can become easy once we get our intentions in place. 

These questions might help:

1. What are you doing to prioritize for tomorrow?
2. When can you say “no” ?
3. What is your plan, in terms of priority, for when something unexpected occurs?
4. How will you handle distractions?
5. Are you worried that you will be disliked or fired if you fail to respond to something urgent?

I think it’s important to understand that priorities are short term and long term. In this moment, my priority is to add value to the meditation community by helping them focus without getting stressed. That means that I have to be in the moment, and that is the solution. In this moment, my priority is work, and when I am home, my priority is to provide the best food and shelter for my family. So it’s all about finding where I need my attention to be right now.

Doing this has helped me get less stressed about the future, and that was a great purpose in my life. Look within and find your purpose, so that in the long run, you can pay mindful attention to your precious time.

Nehita Abraham

Nehita is a mindfulness expert who writes extensively on lifestyle management, wellness and ways to lead a healthier and a happier life. She is a part of Aware’s expert team on meditation. She is also an avid artist who spends most her time dribbling amazing stories through art.