5 Simple Strategies To Foster More Focus On Your Tasks
They're so good that Stephen King may or may not have stolen one of these from me.
"I can't do it! I can't write a single word."
I remember telling my mom this, head buried, hunched over my desk.
“Well, honey, if you focus hard enough, you’ll get it.”
“But Mom, I don’t know how.”
This was a routine occurrence.
I struggle with focus and I know I’m not alone.
But I’ve had moments of focus, so I know it’s possible and it’s an incredible feeling.
You briefly realize what it feels like to live up to your potential.
However, achieving this focus is incredibly difficult in modern environments - constant phone buzzing and tempting apps block our focus.
I've found some techniques that can help.
With practice and discipline, anyone can master these.
This isn’t a lesson in becoming more present. Rather, it's about preparing for your next big project, study session, or even a Substack article.
I’m not here to hurl research at you. Instead, I will give you practical advice rooted in science that I've tried and tested.
I’ve attempted everything from cold plunging to gratitude journaling to weird manifestations. But these five are the most effective. So, grab a comfy seat, and let's try to focus on this for a minute. 🤣
1. Set a Clear Goal the Night Before
2. Clear All Friction
3. Remove All Distractions
4. Create an Anti-Vision
5. Keep It Familiar
1. Set a Clear Goal the Night Before
Setting a clear goal the night before doesn't guarantee focus, but it prepares you for it. Just like an athlete prepares for a huge game, we will prepare for our focus session.
I write down the three most important things the night before a huge work session. I will consider the day a great success if I complete these three tasks.
Each varies in difficulty, and I prioritize the most challenging one.
It usually looks something like this:
Finish Focus Article
Work on Client Report
Connect with Substack Friend
Thats it.
Setting my goals for the session the day before is like writing a game plan. It would be ineffective to enter a football game with no plays. It would cause confusion and anxiety, and your quarterback breaking their leg.
Instead, come in with a playbook so you have clarity for the next 2-3 hours.
This is a game-changer.
2. Remove All Friction
I used to follow an exhausting morning routine. I’d do this right before starting work because I thought it would help me.
But on the contrary, it caused me to be the least focused. My output was minimal because I could barely stay in focus sessions longer than 30 minutes. Perhaps my complex routine was more of a hindrance than a help.
A lightbulb went off when I realized simplicity is key to brain function.
Maybe all the light therapy, cold plunging, NAD suppositories, and breathwork were preventing me from entering a focused state of mind.
So, ask yourself this: Is it easy to enter a focus session, or are there obstacles?
Does your environment allow you to enter into focus with ease?
Can you sit down and do the work you're supposed to do, or are there so many obstacles that you'd rather not?
Our minds are lazy. If we have to do 90 things before we start a focus session, our brains will be tired and say, “F-off, I’m going to sleep.”
There’s neuroscience for you. 🙄
Obstacles could include the location of your focus, the number of tools you have to set up, the noise, etc.
Getting into a focus session should be as simple as grabbing a glass of water.
Frictionless.
There’s no need to open fifty apps, check all your substack comments, or follow a complicated routine to focus.
That’s all friction.
For instance, instead of my two-hour biohacking ritual, I start my day by simply opening a Word document and pounding the keys.
This might include jotting down ideas from dreams, talking about silly shit, or reviewing my goals for the day.
Just clear out the clutter and make it super easy.
For example, a friend of mine, a music producer, always leaves his music software open. This way, he can immediately record a new beat whenever inspiration strikes.
Here’s another way to remove friction.
Time
Consider the duration of your work sessions.
Instead of expecting your mind to grind for three hours straight, start with just 20-30 minutes of focus. You can always extend the time as you get into a flow.
The key is making it so easy to start that you have zero excuses—even if it's just ten minutes.
Make it frictionless to enter. Once you are in, you are IN.
Action Steps:
- Make your work frictionless to enter (have a Google Doc open, software open, etc.)
- Prepare your tools and resources in advance to start work without delays.
- Set a specific target for each work session to maintain focus and direction
Act as if it were impossible to fail- Dorothea Brande
3. Remove All Distractions
It takes an average of 23 minutes to regain focus after being distracted.
“I know that’s the truth.” - Kristi Keller
Imagine how often this happens if you have Facebook open, things lying around everywhere, and your phone going crazy.
It's time to toss those distractions overboard and get serious.
Silence the phone.
Stash away the trash.
Shut down social media.
Glance around your workspace and ask yourself, "Are these things magnifying my focus or hurting it?"
Put your phone under your pillow in your bedroom if you have to. Have someone throw your phone in the lake gosh darnit🤣
Action Steps:
- Clear away any physical or digital tools that don’t help you focus (Random papers, apps, etc.)
- Silence unnecessary notifications (e.g., phone notifications, social media).
- Clean your work area or organize your digital workspace the night before.
By creating a workspace that promotes undivided attention, you're setting the stage for profound focus.
4. Create an Anti-Vision
Have you ever considered crafting an anti-vision?
It might sound cheesy, but pinpointing what distracts me from my focus helps me avoid these traps. Without acknowledging these pitfalls, I might not realize their impact.
So, what does a day of total unproductivity look like for me?
Munching Cheerios, binge-watching Netflix, and—oh, the horror—biohacking podcasts on repeat.
It would also involve leaving my phone buzzing with notifications on my desk, keeping dozens of browser tabs open, and dealing with distractions.
Now, here’s a fun anti-vision exercise for you:
Spend 15 minutes writing about your worst day ever. But first, really try to picture it.
This day could involve scrolling on your phone with 95 apps open, noise everywhere, and a pounding head from all the distractions.
This day could look like not getting any work done, eating frozen burritos, then your boss firing you, and now you live in a tent.
Got that nightmare in mind?
Good.
Here’s how to flip that disaster into a game plan for success:
Plan your three most important tasks for the day.
Effortlessly glide into your focused zone by removing all friction.
Banish distractions and tidy up the mess.
5. Keep It Familiar
We’re almost there! I nearly flipped on Tennis TV, but I’m not a hypocrite.
I’m committed and more focused than ever.
I’ve realized that the more familiar my focus routine becomes, the easier it is to engage. My brain automatically knows, "Ah, it’s time to focus."
Just like Stephen King—although his stories terrify me, he does the same. King settles into his cozy nook overlooking Maine’s tranquil scenery every day. With a cup of coffee and his favorite playlist setting the mood, he's ready to dive into grind mode.
Using the same workspace for his deep work, King has created a strong link between this space and productivity, making it easier for him to enter a state of deep focus.
He also maintains a consistent workflow:
First, he reviews his outline.
Next, he jots down any fresh ideas.
Then, he sets clear goals for the day’s work.
He never misses the top three tasks.
King 100% copied me (😁) because I set my three most important tasks at my standing desk, overlooking the skyline.
By crafting a routine where each step, from the moment I stand at my desk, is predetermined and habitual, I eliminate the guesswork of starting.
This could be as simple as a consistent starting ritual, using the same workspace, or following a specific sequence before diving into tasks.
Action Steps:
Develop a consistent pre-work routine that cues your brain to its focus time.
Use the same workspace for deep work to forge an association with productivity.
Adhere to a familiar pattern of steps before work to minimize the energy spent transitioning into work mode.
We've covered five crucial strategies to have the best focus session ever.
But hey, this isn’t the end of the road. Your quest for deep focus is just revving up.
Start implementing these strategies right away.
1. Set a Clear Goal the Night Before
2. Remove All Friction
3. Clear All Distractions
4. Create an Anti-Vision
5. Keep It Familiar
Try it out for a week and see how it feels.
If you get anything out of this routine, let me know what kind of work you got done and what you used it for.
Happy focusing.
This was so helpful. I am in finals right now drowning! Thank you jack cat <3 YAY
Those are really good advies here, good read!