If you are anything like me - clocking in sun-up to sun-down and trying to keep Ponderlily and my other business ventures afloat - you can most likely relate to having so many tasks that require your full attention, that you end up not being able to give your undivided attention to even half of them, if any!
And, not only does your small business call for your attention, but your family and home life require attention and care as well - and just as much, if not more!
Sometimes life makes you feel like you’re being pulled in twenty different directions and you’re left feeling exhausted at the end of every day.
With so many aspects of your life demanding attention, and what feels like so little time to give to every single one, it can be difficult to focus on any one task at all. We start to feel like we’re falling behind in our work days, both physically as well as mentally.
Ponderlily Planners help you organise your days and months.
I’ve put together a list of my top tips to help you keep the balance between work, business and home life, without feeling like you’re letting anything fall by the wayside!
1. Plan Ahead
As a company that creates planners, Ponderlily knows organisation. Ponderlily knows how important and life-changing it can be to schedule things ahead of time and plan your day.
Take a second to think about your upcoming week - all the to-dos and appointments. Now imagine writing all of those tasks down in your Ponderlily Planner, giving each item its allotted time to be thought through, and tackling them one at a time - the Ponderlily Weekly Planner is perfect for organising your week like this!
In my opinion, the best way to improve focus is to give specific time to each item that needs undivided attention. Nothing kills time like stressing over how you don’t have any - eliminating the mental craziness greatly improves your focus and speeds up your productivity, giving you more time for the unexpected events that are inevitable!
Read our time management tips to help increase your productivity and make the most of your day.
2. Ask For Help
There are going to be times when you just can’t complete all of your jobs and maintain your level of quality - or sanity for that matter - and that’s OK! Life is hard, work is hard and running your own small business is hard.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You could hire an intern, outsource some work, or just ask your partner or friend to take care of dinner.
Eliminating some of the workload can help you reconnect with the things that you need to really focus in on, and it's just therapeutic overall as well!
3. Practice Wellness and Mindfulness
Focus requires mental clarity, and while that clarity can be achieved in a number of ways, it all comes back to your physical wellness.
If you are sacrificing sleep, not getting enough physical activity, or not keeping your diet healthy, it is going to be much harder to zone into your work and feel good about it.
Get up earlier in the morning and make time for a good breakfast, go for a walk during your lunch break, or pack a salad and big water bottle for lunch!
Practicing breath-work is another great way to centre and ground yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a few moments to bring your focus back to your breathing - you’ll notice the difference almost immediately.
I also find that writing down my thoughts in a journal gives me so much clarity and purpose - Ponderlily’s Bullet Journal is perfect for writing down succinct and intentional thoughts.
Always ensure you get your body moving every day, and make sure you do one thing every day that brings you joy and love.
It’s these small changes that will make a huge impact on your mental clarity, and will transform your ability to focus for longer periods of time!
4. Say ‘No’
If you just simply don’t have the time and can’t get anyone to help - don’t be afraid to just say no. You will not be able to do whatever it is to the best of your ability if you attempt to conquer it anyway, or you'll be compromising in another area, so sometimes it is just best to realise that you can’t always do it all.
Be thoughtful and intentional about what you want to do. If you really want to be able to focus on all that you have laid out in front of you, get realistic about it and don’t try to please everybody, because there is a good chance you will find yourself not being able to please anybody at all.
Read our blog post: The Life Changing Art of Setting Boundaries.
There are so many different ways to improve your focus - these are just some of my favourites that I rely on daily!
Remember to give yourself a break, and you will get through everything you need to do. Even if you end up utilising only one of these tips, I promise that it can radically change your day and your work environment.
