Transcripts
1. Focus Mastery Intro: Hello, everyone.
I'm Justin Reagan. Welcome to my course on mastering
focus and productivity. If you're like me,
staying focus in our busy distraction
filled world can be a real challenge.
Trust me. I know. The constant battle to juggle
work and personal life, especially from
home is not easy. In this course, I'll share the strategies that
have helped me regain control of my attention
and boost my productivity. We'll dive into the
psychology of focus, practical techniques to
strengthen your willpower, and tips to create an organize distraction
free workspace. We've all been overwhelmed
by digital distractions. Together, we'll
explore ways to manage our digital life and
practice digital minimalism. We will also discuss
the importance of time management and I'll introduce you to
effective methods like the pomadoro technique
and eat the frog. These will help you structure your workday and avoid
procrastination. We'll also cover
the importance of taking breaks,
getting enough sleep, and eating well, which are all crucial for maintaining your
focus and your productivity. By the end of this course, you'll have the tools and
the knowledge to create lasting habits that boost your focus and
your productivity. I'm excited to help you on this journey to a
more organized, balanced work from home life. Let's get started together.
2. Using Technology Productively: F ways to use technology
productively. Today, I want to
talk to you about how to use technology
productively. Whenever you read or watch anything about improving focus, one of the first tips you will hear is to turn off your phone, devices, and other technology. Although technology certainly
can be a huge distraction, there are ways you can
use it productively. In fact, certain technologies are designed to aid
in productivity. It seems like a waste to ignore these technologies
wholeheartedly. You just have to know how to use the technology.
Let's get started. Number one, set limits
on what you use. Most importantly, you need
to set limits on what you use if you are to use
technology productively. When most people recommend putting away your
phone and devices, it's because
unproductive apps and websites may be
calling your name. Social media, games, and YouTube are some of the biggest distractions
in time suckers. Even if you get on your
phone for work purposes, these fun apps can accidentally eat away your time
and your focus. To ensure that you don't use the applications that are
distracting and unproductive, you can set limits on when
you're allowed to access them. Simply go to your settings and click on the
screen time option. From there, set limits on when
you can use certain apps. For laptops, you can download time management tools that will keep you away
from certain sites. Two. Use timers
or time trackers. The second way to use technology productively is to use automated
timers or time trackers. One of the most effective
productivity techniques is the pomadoro method. This method describes
alternating between work times
and brake times. You can use an automated
timer to ensure you are working and resting for the appropriate
amount of time. You can obviously use
something as simple as your phone's alarm
clock or timer feature. If you're worried about
having your phone out at all, there are tons of
apps or tools you can download and incorporate into your laptop to stay
focused and on track. Number three, schedules
and calendars. One important part of
staying productive is knowing what you have to do
and when you need to do it. Back in the day,
people exclusively used handwritten
calendars and agendas. Although this is still a
great way to track your time, you can save paper and time by using online calendars
or scheduling apps. These digital calendars have multiple features for divvying up your time and assignments. You could also use them to
track your productivity, which can help you better
estimate how long it will take you to accomplish
tasks in the future. Number four, simplify
small tasks. Finally, the last way
you can use technology productively is to
simplify small tasks. There are a ton of little things workers have to do every day. A lot of technology
is designed to take away the unnecessary steps. For example, you could
set automated reminders, e mails, or a variety
of other features. Simplifying one small task
won't save you a lot of time. In contrast, simplifying
multiple tasks every single day
will quickly add up. This can help you focus
on the things that actually matter. Final thoughts. As you can see, technology
isn't completely bad. There are certainly
ways that you can use technology to remain
focused and productive. Just by setting limits and using certain
productive tools, technology can make your
workday much easier.
3. Tips For Staying Focused: Now I want to go into five
tips for staying focus. Whether you have a
big deadline coming up or wrangling up the kids, you'll likely need
a lot of focus. Even though focus is a natural
challenge to most people, there are easy
techniques you can incorporate into your day
to help train your brain. Without further ado, let's look at five tips for
staying focused. Number one, remove distractions. First things first, start by removing all distractions
while you're working. This includes social media, your phone, or pesky co
workers that want to chat. If you don't get rid of
distractions from the beginning, it will be more of a
challenge to stay focused. In fact, it may
even be impossible. Of the distraction, turning off your phone if
you're not using it for productivity is probably
the most important. Although phones are
great for communication, they can easily turn
into time wasters. I recommend turning
your phone onto do not disturb mode while you're working to help
you stay focused. Number two, drink
coffee and small doses. There's a reason
why so many people like to have a cup of
coffee in the morning. It helps waken the body
and mind for the day. Instead of drinking
a large batch of coffee throughout the day, try drinking coffee
and small doses. Studies have found that
drinking a little bit of coffee periodically throughout
the day improves focus. If you drink too much coffee, however, it will lead
to jitters and anxiety. Only drink coffee or some other caffeinated
beverage and small doses to stay focused. Number three, set daily goals. Goals are a great
way to stay focused on your priorities and
tasks for the day. Every morning, try to create a list of the top
goals for the day. More so, set goals that are specific and time bound to
help you stay on track. You may want to try
the Smart goal method. Smart is an acronym that
stands for specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time bound. Incorporating these features
into your goals will make them clear and
easier to achieve. Number four, give
yourself a break. Another tip for saying focus
is to give yourself a break. Whenever you first
start learning about mind focusing methods, you'll likely learn about
the pomadoro technique. The pomadoro technique talks
about how you should work based on a work and
break schedule. Begin by working for
25 minutes straight. When that 25 minutes is up, take a five minute break. After the five minute break, get back to work for
25 minutes again. Repeat this four times. After the fourth
working session, take a 20 to 30 minute
break and start over again. The point of this
technique is to help you stay focused when
you're working, but giving your
brain time to relax. In other words, it breaks to work up into more
manageable chunks. Number five, fuel up. Food is our fuel. If you don't have the
proper fuel in your body, it's going to be
difficult for you to stay focused and energized. Make sure you're eating the
right food throughout the day to keep yourself focused
and ready to tackle work. Complex carbohydrates,
healthy fats, and lean protein are the best
foods for staying focused. Some of the best foods to eat throughout the day
include berries, leafy vegetables, fatty fish, walnuts, and tear
coffee in moderation. Final thoughts. As you can see, improving focus is relatively
easy with these five tips. Just be kind with
yourself and you should see results in no time. H.
4. Fighting Lack of Focus: Five tips for staying focused, even when you don't
feel like it. Have you ever had
one of those days when you have a lot to do, but you just can't
seem to stay focused? I think we've all
had those days. In this tutorial, I'm going to tell you five tips
for staying focused, even when you don't
feel like it. L et's jump right in. Number one, take a break. I know this may sound
counterintuitive, but one of the best
ways to help motivate your productivity and keep your focus is simply
to take a break. Whenever your brain
is having trouble, sticking to one topic, it's either because you have something on your
mind or you're tired. Take more breaks so that you
can recharge during the day. Instead of taking breaks, whenever you feel tired, schedule breaks into your day. On a regular day, you should
take five minute breaks every 25 minutes with a 30 minute break roughly
every hour and a half. On the days you're finding
it hard to stay focused, Schedule ten minute breaks every 25 minutes or schedule five minute
breaks every 20 minutes. Number two, fuel up. While you're taking a break, use that as an opportunity to provide your body
the fuel it needs. Whenever you get
tired or stressed, your body needs food and water to stay charged
up and energized. Keep complex carbohydrates, fat, or protein, as well as plenty of water on hand for
when you need a break. Additionally, you can fuel up with small doses of caffeine. Studies have shown that taking
small amounts of caffeine throughout the day can help boost your focus
and productivity. Don't drink too much, however, or you could get the jitters. Number three, remind
yourself of your intentions. Sometimes, all you need is to be reminded of why you're
working in the first place. Remind yourself of your
intentions and goals so that you remember why you have to stay on track and fight
through the urges. Specifically, remind yourself of short term and long term goals. Short term goals may make the
issue more immediate while long term goals will make the mundane tasks more
relevant to your future wants. Number four, get a
distraction blocker. One of the best parts
about technology is that there is an app for
just about everything today. When it comes to productivity, you can use apps that are specifically designed
to block distractions, such as certain
apps or websites. A distraction blocker will ensure you don't find
yourself going down the rabbit hole of the Internet every time you go online
for work purposes. Number five, work
according to your energy. Finally, the last tip
for staying productive and motivated is to work
according to your energy. If your body is
feeling really tired and run down, there's
a reason why. Listen to your body and don't push it whenever it
feels too tired. Conversely, make
sure you work hard during the times that you feel
motivated and ready to go. This will help you get work done when you actually
have the energy for. Final thoughts. Even though it can be easy to give up
when you lose your focus, it's important to be
persistent and hold yourself accountable
for staying connected. Try any one of the tips from this tutorial next time you feel your mind
wandering at work.
5. Mindfulness and Focus: Hello. Today I want to tell you about five ways to stay
mindful and focused. Many studies have
shown that practicing mindfulness is a great way to train your brain
to stay focused. By focusing on both
mindfulness and focus, your day can go smoother, be more productive,
and less stressful. Let's get started.
Number one, single task. Many people make the mistake of trying to multitask
throughout the day. Although multitasking is advantageous in
certain instances, you should try to
avoid it when you can. Our brains are not
equipped to fully focus on more than one
item or task at a time. Instead of multitasking,
try to single task. Focusing on one item
at a time will allow your brain's energy to be
poured into that singular task. As a result, you'll
do a better job and the task will typically take
less time to accomplish. Not to mention, only
focusing on one task at a time allows you to be
fully involved in the process. It helps you remain
mindful because you can actually think about how you feel about the individual task. In other words, single tasking creates an environment for
full immersion in the present. Number two, turn
off distractions. The modern era is
full of distractions. If it's not your
phone going off, then there's likely some
really annoying noise, whether it be coming from
traffic outside or TV. To remain focused and mindful, you need to learn how to turn off or tune out distraction. Most importantly,
Make sure to turn off any devices while you're trying to stay
focused and mindful. Devices pull you away
from the present and make it much more difficult
to stay on track. It may be a good idea to put your phone on do not disturb
whenever you're working. Additionally, try to tune out distractions that you don't feel you have full control over, such as a barking
dog or loud traffic. You could do this by putting on classical music or investing
in a good set of headphones. Number three, visualize. Visualizing is a really good mindful and focused practice. Whenever you
visualize something, your emotions and actions naturally lead to the
sorter results you want. Start your morning
by visualizing the most important
tasks of the day. Visualizing certain
tasks will make you keenly aware of your
thoughts and feelings. It will also make
you more aware of when the reality doesn't
match your visualization. Number four, C check
in with yourself. Another way to stay focused and mindful is to check in with
yourself throughout the day. Checking in with
yourself gives you the opportunity to see how you feel and give
your brain a break. Simply pay attention
to your thoughts, feelings, and physical body
every couple of hours. Checking in with
yourself makes you keenly aware of how you
feel in the present. This leads to more mindfulness. At the same time, it
allows your brain to rest so that it can be
more focused afterwards. Number five, know when you
have too much on your plate. If you take on too many
assignments or tasks, it's impossible to stay
mindful and focused. L earn your signs that
you're stressed so that you can say no whenever
more tasks arise. Final thoughts. We
hope that these tips help you learn how to stay mindful and focus
throughout the day. Keep in mind that all of these
tasks take time to master, and it's okay to feel
challenged at first.
6. The Importance Of Creating A Routine: Creating a work ritual
to get you focused. Daily rituals and habits have a large impact on
our productivity and ability to concentrate. By making a work ritual, you can help your focus
and tackle the day. In this work ritual, there are four things you
should do every day to help you stay focused. Let's
check it out. Number one, create a
focused environment. The first step in your work day ritual is creating a
focused environment. It's nearly impossible to
stay focused and concentrate on your work if your environment
is full of distractions. Making your environment
distraction free helps you get
into the zone. Begin by turning
off your phone or eliminate access to
websites on your computer. There are a number
of tools, apps, and settings that can help
you control what you were allowed to view on your
devices during the workday. Limiting distracting
applications, such as Instagram or Facebook
can also help a lot. Additionally, try to eliminate
any unnecessary noises. If you work in an office, you might want to shut your
office door so that you aren't distracted by
any chatty co workers. Invest in noise canceling
headphones, if need. Number two, prioritize
tasks for the day. Once you have created
your focused environment, start going through
your to do list and prioritizing the
task for the day. Prioritize tasks according
to urgency and need. This will help you have a
firm grasp on what tasks you need to accomplish
and what tasks are okay to miss if
you run out of time. As you prioritize your task, it may be helpful to list the tasks you've been
dreading to do first. Prioritizing these tasks first can help you get
them out of the way. If you keep
procrastinating on them, you might be too
tired to give them the effort you need
later on in the day. Number three, set many goals. After prioritizing your
daily task, set many goals. These goals will help you
stay on track and give you a time frame for each
individual task. Make these goals specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time bound. All of these
characteristics will keep you on your toes to
accomplish your task. For example, let's
say that one of your most important tasks for
the day is to prepare for a phone interview that
is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. A great mini
goal to set for this task is researching three specific
points you wish to make during the call
before 12:00 P.M. This gives you time to
practice your points as well. Number four, create
a work break flow. Finally, the last
important aspect of your work ritual should be
a helpful work break flow. A work break flow is a
time management skill that will break up
your working time into more manageable chunks. These manageable chunks will be separated by short breaks. For example, you may
want to work for 30 minutes and follow that work period with
a five minute break. You should create
a work break flow and stick to it daily. As your concentration
improves, however, you might want to increase the working time
intervals. Final thoughts. Now that you've learned
four important steps to creating an
effective work ritual, it's time to make it your own. Add any other steps or
features that you think will make your workday more
efficient and productive.
7. Focus & Enviroment: In this tutorial, I'm
going to tell you how to create the perfect
environment for staying focused. Even though it may seem
like a minor issue, where you work impacts your productivity and level
of focus dramatically. If you want to be as
focused as possible, you need to improve the
environment you're working in. Here are some tips for creating the perfect environment
for staying focused. Number one, turn
off distractions. The first step to creating the perfect work environment is to turn off all distractions. This includes your thoughts, devices, and noise coming
from outside your office. By making your work area
a distraction free zone, you will notice a huge
difference in your productivity. Obviously, something
like turning off your phone is pretty
self explanatory. You can even put it
on, do not disturb notes that you can still use
your phone in emergencies. Still, you would not receive distracting notifications
from Facebook, a game, or anything
else unnecessary. If the distractions are
more difficult to turn off, try to be a bit more creative. Obviously, a chatty co worker outside can be handled by
just closing the door. If you can still hear the
talking and it's a distraction, put on classical music or something else to
draw out the sound. Number two, stay organized. Studies have shown that having an organized working space is more conducive to a
productive and focused day. Make sure your work
area is organized so that you know where everything
is throughout the day. If your desk is not
currently organized, take a couple of minutes
to clean up the area. Simply get rid of
everything you don't need and create an organization
system within the drawers. You can find affordable
storage options at $1 store. As the day goes on, try to keep your desk as
organized as possible. Number three, make
your goals visible. Most people organize their to do list and goals in their head. Though this works
for some people, it certainly isn't the
most effective option if you have a lot
of tasks to do. Take your to do list
to the next level by writing it down and placing it some visible in your office. For example, place
short term assignments on the top of your desk
and update it every day. This will make it easier to
mark items off the list. For more long term goals, you can make a decorative poster to hang on your
door or your wall. Number four, know what
times work best for you. Everyone has their own preferred
time for study and work. Know what times work
best for you so that you're working during
your most productive hours. This doesn't necessarily
affect the environment per se, but it will make a huge
difference when you go to work. Depending on what your
preferred hours are, design your work
area accordingly. For example, you may want
to put a do not disturb sign on your door that states when you will
be available to talk. You may also need to set up additional features
in your office, such as lamps, if you like working early or
late during the day. Conclusion. Next time
you go into work, take a look at your
office space and think about if it leads to more
focus or distract you. Making a couple of changes
to your work environment can truly lead to more productivity
and intense focus.
8. Training Your Brain: This lesson, I'm going
to teach you how to train your brain
to stay focused. Even though the brain
is not a muscle, you can train it to become
more focused and dexterous. As a result, you can
make focusing easier on yourself just by doing a few training
techniques every day. Luckily, these brain
training techniques are not that difficult
in small quantities. Just by making a few changes
to your everyday life, you'll find staying focused
to be easier and easier. Let's take a look at a few of these brain
training techniques. You should try out. Number one, practice mindfulness
or meditation. Mindfulness and meditation are two things that have been
studied pretty extensively. Most of these studies
show that they can help you experience less stress,
anxiety, and rumination. At the same time, they help you improve your
focus and attention. To practice
mindfulness for focus, start by selecting a
target to focus on. You can focus on your breath
or even a certain mantra. Then get into a comfortable
position and relax your body. Focus your attention on
the selected target. Whenever certain
thoughts pop up, gently release those thoughts and continue with the practice. Start by doing this practice for 5 minutes and build
up your tolerance. Number two, avoid multitasking. Sometimes you have to juggle multiple priorities to get
everything done in one day. If you can avoid it, try
to avoid multitasking. Multitasking has been
proven to hinder our cognitive abilities
because our brains are designed to only focus
on one task at a time. To train your brain
to stay focus, single task as much as possible. This may be difficult
at first or feel like it takes much
more time out of your day, but it will benefit
you in the long run. With all of your brain's
energy going to one activity, you do the activity
better and more quickly. Number three,
visualize your day. What we think about our
day impacts reality. Whenever we think
certain thoughts, those thoughts lead to feelings, then actions, and then results. Start visualizing
your day as part of your morning routine to start having the
results you want. Instead of visualizing
the whole day, pick a few critical
tasks to focus on. Try to walk through the steps. Imagine your feelings and anything else
related to the task. This will help you
prepare for those tasks, turning your thoughts
into reality. Number four, push yourself. At the beginning of this lesson, I mentioned that
your brain needs to be exercised like a muscle. How you strengthen a
muscle is that you push yourself a little bit further
every time you work out. You should do the same
thing with your brain. Whenever you feel
that your brain needs a break or
is losing focus, try to push the focus for
just a little bit longer. This will help your brain
become more skilled at focusing even when you
become distracted or tired. Final thoughts. Even
though some people may be naturally better at
staying focused than others, you can train your
brain to be more focus. Try meditation, single tasking, visualizing your day,
and pushing yourself to improve your brain's
ability to focus. Remember, you need to be kind to yourself
throughout this process. Focus has not
developed overnight. The first couple of days you try these techniques
may be a challenge. Keep pushing through
and be kind to yourself until you reach
the results you want.
9. Single-Tasking VS MultiTasking: In this lesson, we're
going to discuss whether you should single
task or multitask. Many people claim that
they're good multitaskers, but that is rarely true. Instead, most people are very
poor multitaskers because our brains are only developed to handle one task at a time. As a result, most people
are better single taskers. Still, you might be wondering if there is ever a
time to multitask. The answer is nuanced. Let's jump into
the question now. When should you multitask? Multitasking is
theoretically when you handle multiple
tasks or skills at once. According to experts, however, there's no such thing
as multitasking. We can only do one
thing at once. As a result, most people are serial taskers,
not multitaskers. Serial tasking is when you jump from task to task
in a rapid order. You might type part
of a work e mail, switch to reading your phone, and then go back to the e mail. In this example, you did not
do the task simultaneously, nor did you complete
them at the same time? There are some times when
we do multitask, however. For example, you
may drive your car and sing along to a
song at the same time. A more productive form
of multitasking would be listening to an audio
book while driving. You can multitask
in this scenario because driving and listening are both automatic abilities. In other words, you can
do them on autopilot. For any task that cannot
be done on autopilot, multitasking is not the
most productive technique. Multitasking only
makes your brain jump from task to task, causing you to do all of your assignments poorly
and haphazardly. When you should single task. Since you can multitask
on autopilot, but not when you have to think
about what you're doing, you should single task
whenever the activity requires your attention
and intentional effort. Single tasking
during these times will allow you to be more
productive and focused, as well as benefit
your performance. Given that most activities
we do require attention, you should be single tasking throughout most of your life. Though this may sound
exhausting at first, your physical and
mental well being, as well as your productivity
will improve dramatically when you switch from
a multitasking way of life to a single tasking one. Now let's take a closer
look at single tasking. Let's say you have multiple assignments coming up at work. Instead of trying to juggle all the tasks at once,
take them one by one. Create a priority list to know which items you want
to complete first. Many people recommend starting with the assignments you
want to do the least. This will make all the
following assignments go much smoother. Once you make your
priority list, start doing all of the
items one at a time. Do not move on to
the next task until the one you're currently working on is completely finished. Make sure to take breaks between each task to keep you
energized and upbeat. Final thoughts, all round, you should single task way
more often than you multitask. Anytime you're at work or
doing anything of importance, you should be focusing
on one task at a time so as to make the
most of your brain's power. The only time you should be
multitasking is when you're on autopilot, which
rarely happens.
10. The Pomodoro Technique: In this lesson, we're
going to discuss the best work to break
ratio according to science. When most people talk about productivity and staying
focused at work, they only focus on when
you're actually working. They fail to mention that
you must take breaks, to stay motivated and
focused throughout the day. Still, both taking too
many or too few breaks can hinder your performance. It's important to
find a happy balance in your work to break
ratio throughout the day. Let's get started and learn how to take breaks more effectively. Why breaks matter. Before digging into
the proper ratio, let's talk about why it is
important to take breaks. Simply put, our brains are not equipped to
be on all the time. According to science,
our brains need at most 1 hour of work followed
by 15 minutes of rest. By creating a structure
in our work periods, we are less likely
to be enticed by temptation such as Facebook
or non work related e mails. In other words, breaks
give our brains a time to rest so that we can be fully tuned in during
the work portion. The pomadoro technique. Although you can certainly try the 1 hour on and 15
minutes off approach, you will likely find it
very challenging at first. Unless you've already been
working towards focus, you probably need more breaks. That's where the pomadoro
technique comes into play. The pomadoro technique
is considered one of the most effective time
management methods. It allows you to have structured
work and break time so that your brain gets into
a consistent focused flow. Still, the pomadoro
technique gives you shorter breaks that are
dispersed more frequently. Let's take a closer
look at this technique. With the pomadoro technique, decide on what tasks
you need to do first. Then set a pomadoro timer for
how long you want to work. This time is traditionally
set for 25 minutes, but you can change
the time based on your personal preference
and current abilities. Work until the timer rings, then take a three to
five minute break. Get back to work once
the short break is up and set the timer
for 25 minutes again. Repeat this process four times. After the fourth 25
minute working session, take a longer break. This break should
be 15-30 minutes. After the 30 minute
break is up, start over, beginning with a 25
minute work session and a five minute break. It is important that you use
up all of your working time. Even if the decided
on task is completed, use that time to review
your upcoming task. Build up your concentration. As I already mentioned,
the pomado technique traditionally uses
cycles of 25 minutes. Although this is a really
good starting point, it is important to try to build up your
concentration levels. Science tells us that our brain works optimally for 1 hour. That hour should be followed
by a 15 minute break. Start with the traditional
25 minute cycle. As you get used to concentrating for 25 minutes at a time, increase the work
time between breaks. Once you're able to
concentrate for 1 hour, you know that you built up your concentration
skills for optimal work. All round, science tells us that working for 1
hour and sting for 50 minutes is the
most effective way to stay productive and focused. Use the pomadoro technique to build up your concentration.
11. Eat The Frog: Why you should tackle the
biggest challenge first? You sit down at your
computer, boot it up, and take a look at your to
do list. What do you find? Several big projects and a slew of smaller
tasks that need doing. That's before you've even opened your emails. So what do you do? Which projects to
get started first? The answer, whichever task is the biggest and
most unappealing. This is what is referred
to as eating the frog, which in turn comes from
a Mark Twain quote. If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first
thing in the morning. If it's your job
to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the
biggest one first. Another way to look
at this is like so. It's better to
have a big project behind you than in front of you. The issue with trying to tackle smaller
projects and tasks first is that they have a tendency of building
up and running over. If you tackle a long
list of to dos, then you're going to find
yourself having to tick a lot of things off before
you even sit down to work. This can leave you exhausted, but it also often means you
won't actually have time to accomplish much else
come the end of the day. As the day goes on, you also
lose willpower and energy, meaning that you will tend to spend longer on those
bigger projects. There's now a very real threat
of it not getting done. Usually, the biggest and
most unpleasant task is the one that will
provide the most value. This is the one that
clients pay the most for or that is most important
for your employers. Thus, if you complete
this task first, you know that
you've accomplished the thing that is
the most valuable. You've done the actual work. This is a great tool for
building and developing the willpower you need to stay productive
and self motivated. There is an exception to
this rule though, of course. That is when you have something
that is urgent to do. If a task has a shorter deadline and it's something
you can't push back, then you should complete this
first to avoid any trouble. Then the next task will be the biggest and
most challenging. Everything else goes
on your to do list.
12. Free Time Productivity: Today, I want to
talk to you about how what you do during your free time affects
your productivity. When most people talk about staying focused and productive, they only emphasize activities done at work or when
you need to be focused. What people tend to forget is
that how you live your life outside of work largely impacts your focus and
productivity as well. Let's take a look at four important things you must do outside of work
to stay focused. Number one, fuel up right. Our bodies need
healthy food for fuel. If you only load your body
with processed food, sugar, and simple carbohydrates,
it's going to be hard for you to say focused and productive during the day. Instead, the best fuel types include complex carbohydrates,
fats, and protein. These different
types of food will keep your brain functioning
at optimal levels. Additionally, they will
take longer to break down, which means that
you'll be more full and have more energy for longer. Make sure to eat a healthy
breakfast lunch and dinner. Plus, keep healthy snacks on you to feel you up when you
get hungry at work. Number two, drink water. In addition to food, you need to drink enough water. Our body is made up
primarily of water. If you only drink coffee, sodas, and sugary drinks, you're not only going to be
putting on extra calories, but you're going
to be neglecting your body's most
basic needs as well. You might be thinking that
water doesn't have that big of an impact on
productivity and focus. That could not be
further from the truth. Water helps your brain
function as it should. More so, water can actually be more energizing than a
cup of coffee at times. Number three, exercise. Something else you
need to do to remain productive is
exercise regularly. Exercising ensures
that your body is working as it should. It's a good idea to have three
intense workouts a week. If you currently do
not exercise at all, then start slow and
build up your endurance. The more you exercise, the
healthier you will be. As a result, your
brain will most likely be working
at peak condition, helping you remain
focused and productive. Another benefit of exercising is it will help you
sleep more and better. Number four, sleep well. Speaking of sleep, make sure you get enough
sleep every night. Sleeping gives
your body a chance to reset and restore itself. If you did not get enough sleep, it is impossible for
you to have the focus or energy levels that you
require to remain productive. Generally speaking, you should chow for about 8 hours of sleep. Certain people may need an
hour or so more or less. But try to shoot for a
consistent sleep schedule, no matter who you are. If you exercise, you're
more likely to sleep more. Additionally, eating clean foods will help to prevent you getting a sugary overload before you get into bed. Final thoughts. All in all, some of the
most basic elements of your life will determine your productivity
levels at work. This includes what you eat, what you drink, how you
move, and how you sleep. Make sure not to neglect
any of these aspects of your life because
it could lead to poor physical and mental health, resulting in poor
productivity as well.
13. Final Thoughts: Well, here we are
at the finish line. Congratulations on
completing this course. You now possess the
tools to improve your focus and productivity
in a busy, distracted world. You've learned about
the psychology of focus and how distractions
impact concentration. You've picked up
techniques for improving willpower and
setting clear goals. You've got the tips to create a distraction free
work environment and strategies to manage distractions and practice
digital minimalism. You've mastered time
management methods like the Pomodoro technique and
eat the frog and you now understand the importance of taking regular breaks as well as how sleep and nutrition
impact focus and productivity. We've covered how to identify and minimize common
distractions, practical time
management techniques to structure your work and
avoid procrastination. Ways to create an
optimal work environment and strategies for managing
digital distractions. Not to forget the
importance of sleep, nutrition, and regular
breaks in maintaining focus. Most importantly,
you learn the steps to turn focus techniques
into lasting habits. Your success in maintaining
focus and boosting productivity hinges
on consistently applying what you've learned. By practicing these techniques, you'll regain control
of your attention and accomplish more
with less stress. Thank you for dedicating
yourself to this course. I hope it's been as
insightful for you as it was fulfilling for me
to guide you through it. Here's to your
future success and newfound productivity.
Well done.
Justin Wragg, Film Producer/ Entrepreneur & Consultant
