If I took enough time, I could probably fill a good chunk of a notebook with my to-do list for all areas of my life. With so many ideas bouncing around in my head, it can be hard to concentrate on completing one thing.

Have you ever seen the meme that says something like “If you want to know what a woman’s mind is like, picture a browser with 2,500 tabs open all.the.time.” Well, that’s how I feel most days!

But – I do know that focus is important for actually turning “to-do’s” into completed projects. So, I’ve been working on being better focused on my goals.. and not doing so many things at once. Even if I AM great at multi-tasking 😉
So here are some of my best tips for focusing and getting things DONE.

These tips on how to increase focus will help you be more productive and finally finish some projects that have been hanging around your to-do list.

Take Care of Yourself

First of all, it’s a lot harder to focus if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. If we aren’t getting adequate rest and taking care of our bodies then none of the other tips will really help. So first makes sure you are taking care of YOU!

Prepare

Take a few minutes to prepare your space, fix a cup of coffee or tea, and get settled in so you can focus.

If I have some blogging tasks I want to get done, I know I can focus better if I get some household chores done first.. I find it too distracting to work when I know there’s a sink full of dirty dishes!
I also work much better with a cup of coffee by my side!

Remove Distractions

What distractions get you off track from what you’re doing?

A messy space?

Social media?

Your cell phone?

Whatever it is, block it out, turn it off, do what you have to do to keep it from distracting you. My biggest distractions are usually my phone and social media. I have to be very intentional about ignoring those distractions when it’s time to get some work done.

Set a Timer

Setting a timer works great for so many reasons. It keeps you from spending too much time on a task. Or can turn a dreaded to-do into a race against the clock. A timer can help you keep track of how long things take and track the time you spend working.

See? So many uses. (I’ve heard great things about this one. But the one built into your phone would work too.)

I find that 30-minute blocks are a good amount of time to work before a quick break.

These tips on how to increase focus will help you be more productive and finally finish some projects that have been hanging around your to-do list.

Do One Thing at a Time

It’s almost painful for me to write that. I’m usually the multi-tasking queen. Hello, 50 browser tabs open at once… not that I’ve ever done that…

But lately, I’m trying to put more focus on the task at hand. That task always gets done faster and more efficiently if I do just that one thing.

Going along with this…

Batch Tasks

Another great way to stay focused is to batch like tasks. That way you’re not hopping around from one thing to another. I’ve found that batching things together saves time in the long run!

Some examples of this would be freezer cooking and meal prep, taking care of all the paperwork and bills at once, or setting aside one day for errands.

As much as we think multitasking saves us time, in a lot of cases it really doesn’t. So take the time to prepare, remove distractions, do one thing at a time, and maybe even set a timer.

The result you’ll most likely end up with is more focus and better productivity.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more info, read my disclosure policy.

You might also enjoy:

My top 5 organizing resources  Tired of your own excuses? Is negativity running your life? Learn these 3 ways to drastically improve your mindset and live your best life!

Free Planning Bundle