12 Essential Tips for Staying Motivated and Focused

Does the idea of accomplishing more than the next level of Candy Crush give you anxiety? Do you find yourself breaking away from the task at hand to check your phone several times a day? If you’re nodding your head, you need help with focus and motivation. Try a few of these tips and stay on task.

1. Stay Hydrated and Fueled up

Don’t assume that lack of focus and motivation is always rooted in mental state. There are also physical causes to keep in mind. Start each day with a protein rich breakfast and snack on nuts, fruits, veggies, and whole grains throughout the day. That and drinking plenty of water will help keep you on task all day long.

2. Embrace the Process

When you are working towards a goal, the end results can seem dishearteningly far away. That’s something that can sap anybody’s motivation. Counter this by finding ways to appreciate and enjoy the process of working towards your goals. For example, if you are training to run a 5K, focus on enjoying the way your body feels after a great day of training.

3. Write a Letter of Motivation to Yourself

A letter of motivation is something that job applicants or even those searching for volunteer opportunities include with their resume or CV. It is an expression of enthusiasm and eagerness about an opportunity. Flip things around a bit and write a motivational letter to yourself expressing the excitement you will feel when you meet your goal.

4. Create an Organized Spot

Clutter is distracting and it makes it difficult to work efficiently. Even if the rest of your workspace is disorganized and messy, try to keep the area of your desk where you spend the most time as clean as possible.

5. Read Inspirational Stories

rnReading stories of people who have achieved great things or overcome major obstacles provides both inspiration and perspective. If there is a person whose story you admire, why not see if they’ve written a book?

6. Take Frequent Breaks

Don’t let fatigue hurt your motivation or your progress. If you are working hard on a difficult task, take frequent breaks to stretch, relax, or even enjoy a few minutes of fun.

7. Try a Change of Scenery

If you are able to, take your work or your workout somewhere else. If you are heading to the gym, head to the park instead. If you are going to the office hit a local diner instead and enjoy a few hours of peace with your lap top and the next task you want to accomplish.

8. Put on Some Music

Feeling that 2:00 p.m. sluggishness? Hop on Spotify and create a playlist of favorite songs to stream while you wait. You’ll yawn less, and get a lot more accomplished.

9. Break it Down

If you’re working on a large project, divide it up into smaller tasks and work through them one at a time. You won’t be intimidated by one monolithic task, and you’ll have several small victories to celebrate during the process.

10. Stop Multitasking

People multitask because they believe that it helps them accomplish more in a shorter amount of time. In reality, multitasking just splits your focus so that nothing gets the attention it needs. Trying working on just one thing at a time, and keep as few browser tabs open as possible.

11. Try Visualizing your Task from Start to Finish

Visualization is a great tool for both motivation and focus. You’ll be inspired as you see yourself working successfully through every step of your task. When you are finished visualizing, you will be focused and serene.

12. Change up Your Schedule

What could be less motivational than a rut? Shake things up by altering the order in which you work on your daily tasks. You’ll get those synapses firing!