1. Keep An Active To-Do List — Create a list comprised of little and easy-to-achieve items, with a few big ones to guide your way.

That way you can check off more items, which will always give you a boost of energy and motivation. This will then allow you to approach the next item with more ease, creating a self-sustaining cycle!

Which means you want to put every little thing on your to-do list so you can have as many little victories as possible throughout the day.

Read also: The only 3 life skills you need to master (Highly recommended)

BONUS: This will also make the times you need to remain focused for a lot shorter..

2. Keep Strong Boundaries — Have a minimum and maximum bar set for everything you wish to get done. This is so that you feel the victory sooner, have an ultimate goal to reach for, instead of just trying to wing it.

When we work we often look at what we wanted to accomplish by this time, realizing that the big goal we set out to do is still a ways away. We see how far we are off and get discouraged.

This then often ends in us procrastinating until the point where we do none of what we intended to do.

When we set a minimum and keep a strong boundary it makes us win, even if it is just a small win. This win carries over quite a lot, however, as it is a win created by something you said you would do.

As you collect wins of this nature you begin to believe in yourself more and end up raising both your self-worth and self-belief, making everything that comes after much easier.

Remember that one of the worst things you can do is to create a sense of distrust for yourself. If you cannot believe in your own words, how will you be able to believe in anything else?

3. Listen To Instrumental Music — Working without any music is mind-numbing and boring. With every little break you get inside your own head because there is nothing else going on.

Putting on some relaxing or motivating tunes can make your work an adventure and keeps you feeling good throughout your work.

4. Change Your Location Frequently — When you get into a routine you lose excitement and motivation. It’s the same old place, doing the same old things in the same old way, day after day after day.

Going out every once in a while can refresh this feeling. Write at the nearest coffee shop, take your project to a different office or spread yourself out in your local library to think some things over.

A new perspective gained from a new location can do wonders for your focus.

5. Stay On Task — Force yourself to stay on task a little longer than you feel comfortable doing. Just 10 or 15 minutes more is enough to get you out of the desire to get distracted.

Whenever you want to take a break, procrastinate on procrastinating and do a little more.

A ton of questions and distracting thoughts can come up at any moment, but instead of going with them just work for another couple of minutes. This will train your focus little by little to avoid giving the distractions any time of day.

Remember that you are always training and shaping your mind. Whatever thoughts you go with are the thoughts that are being shaped to have a bigger part of your life. Be careful which ones you train.

6. Handle Distracting Thoughts With Purpose — When a distracting thought come up, like above, then you should handle it immediately and purposefully.

Let’s say you keep thinking about that new movie that just came out and you really want to watch it.

You keep thinking about when to see it at work and it keeps distracting you. Instead of wasting so much time on it just deal with it now. Set a time aside for later in the day when you will figure out when to see that movie.

“At 6 p.m. tonight I will free up 15 minutes of my time to plan out when the best time would be for me to see that movie.” Write this down on a note so that every time the thought comes up you can reference this note to your mind, showing it that this thought is taken care of!

This makes the distracting thoughts leave your mind as you record them on paper. It handles them instead of letting them take up a residence in your limited focus.

7. Recharge Your Energies — Remember that every energy you use needs to be adequately recharged. Self-Improvement Experts talk about Physical, Mental, Emotional & Purposeful Energies.

Physical Energy needs to be recharged with physical rest, including naps, massages, sleep, and a good diet.

Mental Energy needs to be recharged with a blank mind, including meditation, affirmations, nature, walks, and sleep.

Emotional Energy needs to be recharged with positive emotions, including happiness, comedy, affirmations, smiling, and creative outlets.

Purpose Energy needs to be recharged by addressing your reasons, including why you need to be focused, future goals and dreams, actions of value, charity, gratitude and random acts of kindness.

8. Declutter — Your mind takes in every piece of information. It does not distinguish from what it should take in, only what it should make you consciously aware of.

This means that if you have a cluttered, busy and stressful working space, your mind will wander off more frequently.

This is the same principle that makes us turn down the music when we are looking for the route as we drive. Every input takes up focus, no matter if you are aware of it or not.

Limit the amount of inputs and you increase the amount of focus you have readily available.

Read also: 5 daily habits of people who are smart with money (must read)

9. Smile — Have more fun while you work.

Smile whenever you think of it to release more endorphins in your mind that make you feel good. Your brain will develop associations between working and feeling good whenever you do it, raising your desire to stay focused and work hard!

Psychologists are still discussing what comes first: The emotion or the action. Either way, they know they are closely linked and often beget one another.

Meaning that whenever you smile you will feel happier, just as whenever you feel happier you will smile.

Contributed by Lukas Schwekendiek

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