Ways to develop razor -sharp focus and productivity

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I’ve struggled with focus my entire life.

I was diagnosed with ADD, ADHD and just about everything in between.

For the longest time, I allowed this to hinder my self esteem and fester as the toxic belief that I “Wasn’t good enough”.

Today, I’ve learned that focus is an acquirable skill whether you have any sort of attention disorder or not.

If you follow the right habits and mindsets, you can develop razor sharp focus in a startlingly short amount of time.

Here are the ten habits that I’ve used to double my productivity and increase my focus.

Follow the 80/20 Rule

An old Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto once conducted an experiment with peas in his garden where he noted that 80% of the peas were produced by only 20% of the pods.

Intrigued by the concept he extrapolated the idea and analyzed the land ownership and income of the Italian population.

He found that, just like the peas in his garden, 80% of the land and wealth was controlled by about 20% of the population.

This is a simple but powerful concept that will revolutionize how you work, study, and play.

In your classes, you will likely find that only 20% of the textbook contains 80% of the information needed to pass your class.

In your creative endeavors, you will find that only 20% of the inputs are necessary to achieve 80% proficiency.

For example, learning to play the guitar requires that you know only a small handful of chords and a few simple pieces of music theory.

When you realize that not all tasks are created equally and that the majority of the results that you want to achieve are generated by doing a small number of tasks with excellence, you will eliminate the busywork in your life and make time for what is truly important.

Create a To-Do List the Night Before

One of the simplest but most powerful tactics I’ve ever learned for increasing my productivity is to plan your days the night before.

When you wake up without a to-do list and without a plan, you have to waste precious time trying to figure out what needs to get done and when.

When you devote the last 15 minutes of your work day to figuring out what you need to do the following day, you will set yourself up for high levels of production and achievement.

However, when making this to-do list, it’s important that you are realistic in your goals and intentions.

This brings me to productivity tip #3.

Limit Yourself to 6 Daily Tasks and Schedule those Tasks (The Ivy Lee method)

If you are trying to balance school, work, creative pursuits and your social life, your to-do list can quickly become what we refer to in the productivity industry as a “BFUL”

Or a Big Frigging Unachievable List.

Long to-do lists are a psychological nightmare and will actually end up preventing you from accomplishing the most important tasks.

Ivy Lee, a famous business consultant and millionaire was once hired by Charles Schwab to help increase the company’s productivity.

Here’s how the story goes (according to James Clear)

Schwab brought Lee into his office and said, “Show me a way to get more done.”

“Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives,” Lee replied.

“How much will it cost me,” Schwab asked.

“Nothing,” Lee said. “Unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it's worth to you.”

3 months later, Lee received a check for the equivalent of $400,000

Since most of your important tasks will take about 60 minutes, limiting yourself to only 6 will allow you to have a 6–10 hour work day that is incredibly focused and productive.

Personally, I work about 7–8 hour 6 days a week.

I’ve found that, when I use this technique, that’s all that is necessary for a massively productive day.

Create Pre-work Rituals and Clearly Separate Your Work and Play

One of the simplest ways to experience an increase in productivity is to use the power of association.

Your brain is an amazing machine and it craves patterns and routines.

This is why most sleep doctors recommend that you only use your bed for sleep and sex.

If your brain associates your bed with work, TV, or social media, it will have a hard time shutting off at the end of the day.

Conversely, if the only times you get in bed are to sleep or ahem enjoy some company then your brain will know that getting under the covers means it’s time to shut off.

The same principle can be applied to increase your productivity.

The first way to leverage this principle is through a pre work ritual.

This ritual, when cemented into your brain, will send a signal that it’s time to get to work and get shit done.

Personally, I drink a glass of lemon water, do a few affirmations, shake out my body, review my to-do list, and then go sit down at my desk.

This sounds simple, but I promise it’s a powerful tactic that will explode your productivity.

Taking this tactic a step further, I recommend that you have different work spaces for different tasks and “Battle Gear” or a specific outfit that you wear every time you need to have a productive day.

For example, anytime you need to write a big essay, you go to your library and sit at the same desk, in the same chair, wearing your favorite graphic t-shirt.

Anytime you need to study for an exam, you can go to a local coffee house, play the same instrumental playlist, and wear your “Study Shirt”.

I know this sounds silly, but I promise… It works.

Exercise Daily and Get Sunlight in the Morning

You cannot be productive when your body isn’t optimized for focus and energy. (source)

Quite frankly, I recommend that everyone who wants to become more productive starts by going to the gym on a regular basis and doing 20 minutes of HIIT cardio 2–3 times a week.

You can look at the studies for yourself, but the jury has reached a verdict, exercise is an essential part of being productive.

Eat and Clean Diet and Stay Hydrated

In a similar spirit to the point above, what you eat and drink has a huge impact on your ability to be productive. (source)

If you are eating tons of processed, sugary crap, your work is going to be, well, crap.

If you eat lots of healthy, clean burning foods, then your energy levels and focus will remain high all day long.

If you don’t have the budget for an all organic diet (I know I didn’t in college), then focus on big wins.

I’d recommend that you skip breakfast and eat only salads, fish, high GI (glycemic index) fruits, and nuts until you are done with your work.

Once you’ve finished your biggest tasks for the day, you can begin eating more carb or meat heavy meals without suffering mental fatigue or a loss of focus.

Oh…

And drink at least 12 cups of water a day.

Just do it.

Sleep at Least 8 Hours a Night

I know that most young people love the #hustle mentality and believe that there is something noble or productive in sleep deprivation.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

When you consistently sleep less than 6 hours a night, you increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, hormonal imbalance, depressions, anxiety, and a whole host of other nasty maladies. (source)

Not to mention the fact that you prevent your brain from fully restoring itself and consolidating memories (an important part of successfully taking exams).

Although your peers might disagree, you need at least 8 hours of sleep a night and up to 9 hours if you are physically active (as you should be).

I know you probably believe it will make you less productive, but I encourage you to ignore social stigmas and look at the facts.

The most productive and successful people in the world today take their health and their sleep seriously.

Work in 50 Minute Blocks with 10 Minute Breaks

This is one of the most effective and simplest techniques I’ve ever used.

When you begin your work day, you are going to pick one task, close out all distractions, and set a timer for 50 minutes.

You are then going to work with a single focus on that task until the timer buzzes.

Then, get up, stretch, and walk outside.

Give yourself 10–18 minutes to recharge and enjoy your break.

You can walk around, play an instrument, listen to music, meditate or do anything else that helps you restore your mental energy.

I promise, this one tactic will transform your ability to focus and GSD.

Meditate Every Morning

Meditation is like a cognitive cocktail of awesomeness.

Don’t believe me?

Then check out this, this, and this.

The bottom line is that meditation is a powerful way to improve your productivity, keep your brain healthy, and improve your emotional response to things throughout the day.

Start small with just 5 minutes every morning and slowly work your way up to 20–40 minutes of practice each day.

You won’t regret it.