Focus Your Mind... With A Stopwatch

Do you find it quite difficult focussing on doing simple tasks? If you've got a few things you should be getting on with, do you seem to jump between them - never really getting any finished? This is a very common problem, especially with tasks that you don't really want to do (like housework, tax forms or paying bills). You start one thing then, as soon as you hit a problem, you move onto something else. Suddenly, it's the end of the day - and you've not completed anything. Here is a simple way to dramatically increase your effectiveness. Take a task that you have been meaning to get done. Decide how long it will take you. Now, get a stopwatch and set it to that time. It may be 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour. Just set the stopwatch and get on with it. If you try this out, you will find that your mind is far more focussed than normal, and far less open to distractions. As you see the numbers counting down, you'll constantly be aware of what you need to do. As a result, your chances of getting the task done in the time you have set increase dramatically. This works for a number of reasons: 1. Because you have a limit, your brain places extra importance on the task. It becomes urgent for you - even though the task itself may not need to be completed for weeks. Other tasks can be put off until after the time limit is up. 2. It releases your competitive side. Like playing a video game, you'll get a feeling of satisfaction when you complete this challenge. 3.You will become better at judging how long things really take to get done. At first, you may assign to much or too little time for the tasks. But, very quickly, you will become an expert at working out how long tasks will really take. You can use the same technique for virtually any task that you need to designate a period of time to. Writing e-mails, picking up your groceries... even walking the dog. By purposefully limiting the amount of time you are able to do things, you will find yourself with fewer tasks left at the end of the day - and more time to do the things you enjoy.