How do you stay focused while working, sleeping, or living? What methods do you use to track the random thoughts and tasks that come to mind throughout the day and night? How many of these thoughts do you try to retain, just to have them flutter away, never to be remembered again?
Well, here’s an easy method for you to try: befriend a notepad. The great thing about your friendship with a notepad is that it gives you exactly what you give it. Isn’t that amazing? There’s no hiding of secrets, no ghosting, just a simple, straightforward relationship. What you write, you see. Where you place it, it’ll lay. What you spill on it could potentially destroy the relationship, but it would be your fault, not the notepad’s.
So, now that we’ve explained the simplicity of this friendship, let’s delve into why you need it in the first place.
It’s a fact that our brains are beautiful, amazing organs. It‘s a multi-tasking machine and no mater what you’re doing, it never turns off. While you focus on reading the text on your computer screen, your brain will also alert you to grab a sweater because it’s chilly, will recognize a coworker and have you give a distracted nod, will allow you to write or type, all the while it keeps you upright in the chair, with perfect posture while keeping you awake and controlling appetite, and regulating body temperature (and so much more!).
So, with all of that going on, is it any wonder the brain sometimes gets distracted? The reason for befriending a notepad is to give your brain a break. If you’re focused on working, but a thought forms in the brain that you have to sign your child’s permission form, that thought will stay at the forefront because you don’t want to forget it. Your 100% focus on work becomes split and your quality of production drops.
Don’t let this happen. If you utilize your friendship with a notepad and write down each distracting thought/task, you allow your brain to forget this little tidbit and return to focusing 100% on your current task (in this case, your work).
Same friendship benefits work with sleep. All the tasks you have to do tomorrow keep you awake. Instead of tossing and turning, grab your notepad, write down the thoughts, then allow your brain to release the thought. Your friend, the notepad, will hold your thoughts for you and remind you when you’re no longer focused on your current task (in this case, sleeping)
If you prefer to keep your notes electronic, open up the Notes app, Google Keep app, etc. on your phone and type your thoughts. It’s easier to delete the words once you’ve completed the task and you’re also producing less waste. If I’m being kept awake at night by my thoughts, my go to method is to start an email on my phone, type my thoughts and to-do lists, then when I wake up, I immediately email myself. Once I arrive at work, responding to the thoughts on the email will be my first task of the day.
What methods have you devised that allow you to continue focusing on your current tasks? Share below!