It can be hard to stay focused when you are an entrepreneur.
When you run your own business, you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck to get things done. This can be a blessing and a curse!
On the one hand, no one is watching your every move (which is great), but on the other hand, it’s all on you to stay focused and get things done!
Staying focused isn’t something that comes naturally to everybody, so don’t beat yourself up if it’s a struggle for you.
The good news is — staying focused is a skill that you can learn and practice.
Here are 4 tips for becoming a more focused entrepreneur…
1. Audit your downtime
How do you spend your time off? Be honest with yourself.
Are any of your downtime tasks or activities draining your focus?
You absolutely should have time to rest and recharge your mind and body. Doing so is GREAT for your overall focus.
But, some activities are not as relaxing as they may seem.
For instance, scrolling social media or watching the news might be a nice break in small doses, but if you’re not careful, you can lose a lot of time on these activities and doing so can make you feel depleted and less focused.
A quick walk with your dog or lunch away from your desk might better serve your focus in the long run.
Audit your day-to-day tasks and assess which activities are rejuvenating you and which ones are draining you.
Then, cut out the activities that are harming your overall focus.
2. Limit your time with people who drain your energy
Part of being an entrepreneur is realizing that not everyone is going to be like you.
Your goals are not going to align with everyone’s and that is totally fine.
While you can’t expect everyone to support your mission, you do need to be careful about letting people detract you from your goals.
That’s not to say that every relationship you have has to be transactional, but you do need to learn when to set boundaries.
You don’t have to limit yourself to people who help you grow your business or introduce you to customers. People who are nurturing, supportive, respectful, and interested in what you do also have value. People who make you laugh and have meaningful conversations with you are priceless.
But, people who diminish your accomplishments, or take no interest in your goals or ambition, or pressure you into spending time and resources that deplete you, can feel like a burden.
It’s not easy to say goodbye, but be aware of people who don’t respect your time and space so that you stay aligned with your values as an entrepreneur.
3. Delegate
When you first start out as a business owner, you will likely wear a lot of different hats.
Not only are you the owner and manager of your company, but you are the tradesperson, the accountant, the cleaner, the person who gets coffee, and the one who orders office supplies.
And, that’s okay.
However, as your business starts building momentum, you are going to to want to delegate some tasks.
Hire people who are great at doing specific things that you don’t need to be doing. This will free up your focus so you can concentrate on building your business in a more meaningful way.
Roles you could fill with other people might include: accounting, social media management, or office administration.
You don’t just have to think of delegating tasks that are directly connected to your business, either. You can also hire people to manage things outside of your business as well, such as cleaners, shoppers, and meal preparers.
By delegating tasks that can be handled by others without compromising your operation, you can focus on the important things that only you can do as the owner of your business.
4. Work in sprints
Working for long periods of time without taking breaks might seem noble in theory, but it’s actually not a smart way to work.
Studies have shown that humans maintain a higher level of focus if they take short breaks after an intense interval of work.
Even then, after 5 hours of work (including breaks) your focus will dwindle to the point where you’re not getting much done despite all the time you’re investing.
In other words, to get the most productivity out of your work day, you should do 2 things:
One — limit your workday to 5 hours from start to finish.
Two — break your day up so that you are working intensely with extreme focus in 45-minute sprints, each followed by a 15-minute break.
Staying focused as an entrepreneur can be challenging, but it’s a skill that can be learned and mastered with practice. Audit your downtime to make sure you are not engaging in activities that deplete your overall focus. Limit your time with people who leave you feeling depleted or resentful. Delegate less important tasks so that you can focus on what truly is important. And finally, work in 45-minute intervals and take regular short breaks throughout a 5-hour workday to maximize your focus and get things done.