Staying Focused During Uncertain Times – 4 Reminders
As we approach the end of this year 2020, there is so much uncertainty stirring around the world right now. After a long marathon of staying at home and for a lot of people, working from home, it is not easy to keep the focus on their goals and being productive. Here are some tips to motivate you to keep the focus on what is in your control and achieve your goals despite the uncertainties of 2020.
- Create a Daily Plan
Set yourself a daily goal with the question: What do I want to achieve today? What is the priority? What tasks have to be done? The daily plan should be created the evening before, for the next day. At the end of the working day, you check your daily schedule. Whatever is still open, will be then transferred onto the next day’s to-do list and scheduled.
- Journaling & Gratitude Practice:
A daily writing habit has been shown to improve your ability to recall information, boost creativity, and lead to improved problem solving abilities and greater levels of self-awareness. Set a timer for 5-minutes and write down anything that comes to your mind. From tasks that need to be accomplished,to people you need to contact, to things you are grateful for… get it out of your head and onto paper. This simple exercise will give you clarity for the day ahead.
- “Eat That Frog” First Thing In The Morning
First thing in the morning it is best to invest time in your most valuable priority. Don’t waste it on email or social media or administrative work. Use it to tackle those big tasks and activities that are the most challenging or important tasks of the day.
- Turn Off Digital Disruptions
Limit your exposure to negative news and anxiety causing notifications by turning off your social media alerts or close certain apps entirely, or at least for your workday. The fear and anxiety caused by the news is only going to keep you in a state of high alert. Therefore, you won’t be productive or creative. In fact, fear and creativity cannot co-exist.
Staying focused, productive, and accomplishing your goals can be difficult through times of uncertainty. Now more than ever it is important to take care of your physical and emotional health. Taking care of your basic needs and creating some structure in your day can help you bring back a little bit of certainty. Don’t forget to breathe… This too shall pass.