5 Steps to Regain Your Focus

There are times when work seems overwhelming and we feel like we can’t possibly manage all the tasks on our to-do list. It can be particularly easy to lose focus at times like these.

Here are five steps you can take to regain your focus at work and reduce your stress and anxiety, too.

Identify tasks. Be clear on the things you need to accomplish by writing them down. If you’re a pen and paper type of person write them down in a planner or on a sheet of paper that you post nearby. Otherwise, create a list to access from your laptop or phone. You’ll also want to identify due dates for each task to help you with the next step.

Prioritize and align with company goals. Evaluate your tasks and rank them according to due dates and importance. You will also want to consider how your tasks align with your company goals. It’s possible to get distracted by tasks that are not really a priority for your company. If you’re unsure about which tasks should take priority seek out help from your manager or supervisor.

Delegate when possible. If it’s possible to hand off some tasks to other people, do so. Look through your tasks and determine whether one or more might be better handled by someone else on your team or should be moved to another department.

Remove distractions. This should be part of your every day routine but turn off your social media notifications, avoid surfing the internet, turn off your phone, and turn your attention exclusively to the task at hand.

Avoid multitasking. Notice I just wrote “the task at hand”. Singular. Not plural. Trying to multitask not only slows you down but it distracts you and makes it more difficult to get something done.

And it’s important to start small. You don’t have to tackle the biggest, most difficult task on your to-do list first. Complete one task. A small one. Gain a quick victory to start your day and propel you onto the more important work.

5 Work Habits That Are Holding You Back

We often hear and read talk of the good habits we should form at work or the morning habits necessary for a successful day, but there are some habits we should get rid of.

Without changing some of the things that are holding us back in our career we will continue to struggle and wonder why we’re not hitting our career goals.

Here are some basic, but often overlooked, habits that can sink your performance on the job and prevent your career from taking off.

Not having a plan. If you don’t start your day with a plan made up of clearly attainable goals, you’ll have a difficult time accomplishing anything of value during your work day. Focus on 3-5 attainable priorities for your day and you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment and make real progress toward your longer-term goals.

Taking work home. A consistent practice of taking work home might indicate that you are not using your time proficiently at your work place and need to develop better strategies for time and project management. You are also more likely to experience stress which can lead to a poor performance at work and increased dissatisfaction with your personal life.

   

Multi-tasking. Contrary to previous thought, multi-tasking is not a skill you want to try to master. The most productive people are those who focus on one task for a specified period of time, allowing them to bring their full attention and skill to their work. Attempting to multi-task often leaves you distracted, and the work you accomplish is often of lower quality than when you’re able to give your undivided attention to the job. 

Negative attitude. Sometimes we develop a consistent pattern of thinking negatively about our job or workplace and don’t even consciously realize that we’re bring this negative energy into the office with us every day. Take time to evaluate your words, your interactions, and your attitudes about your job for any negativity. If you find that you’ve developed a habit of negativity work to change your thoughts through meditation or other practices.

Working tired. You likely would not want to have heart surgery performed on you by a doctor who had very little sleep the night before. Nor would you want to get on a plane with a pilot who could barely stay awake. Yet many of us habitually go into work fatigued and unable to perform our job to the best of our ability. This is an unsustainable habit that will prevent you from achieving the success you desire.

If any of these five habits are holding you back in your career, make a change today.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: To Be More Productive Eliminate These 7 Habits

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Practical Psychology describes 7 habits that you should eliminate from your life in order to be more productive, starting with "multitasking". Watch the video below for more.

6 Practices That Will Make You More Successful Tomorrow

We all want to be successful in our lives and in our careers but sometimes we let the busyness of our personal and work lives interfere with taking care of ourselves and doing the things we need to do.

It can be easy to get off track and find ourselves filled with anxiety while we struggle to meet deadlines and prioritize competing demands.

Apply the following 6 practices to your day today and you'll have a better day tomorrow.

1. Turn off the social media. Avoid your Facebook, twitter, and Instagram accounts. These take time away from the important things and we often find ourselves unfavorably comparing our lives or circumstances with others we barely know.

2. Forget multi-tasking. Focus on only one thing and work at it until you complete it. Attempting to multi-task is a distraction and might even lead to taking a look at those social media accounts we suggested turning off.

3. Replace negative self-talk. When you're stressed out or struggling with work you can find yourself stuck in a rut of negative self-talk. You're not good at this. It will never get done. No one will like this. The self-talk can be ruthless. It's important to recognize this and replace the self-talk in your mind with positive affirmations: I've got this. I'm good enough. I'm brave and capable.

4. Take a walk outside and breathe. Get outside into the fresh air, go for a walk, and focus on your breathing. You'll feel better, more relaxed, less stressed, and ready to take on the world.

5. Eat a healthy and energizing meal. Be sure to get at least one meal in every day that consists of healthy food that will make your body feel strong and provide the energy you need.

6. Sleep. You need good and adequate sleep to be at your best. Make sure you get 7-8 hours in order to be rested and focused to start your day well.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 8 Tips to Be More Efficient

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below presents 8 tips to be more efficient with your time, starting with: stop multitasking. See more below:

5 Enemies to Success in Your Career and Life

There are a number of factors, qualities, and characteristics necessary to be successful in your career and in life. You need to have the necessary knowledge and skills, along with determination and hard work.

But there are also enemies to success that you'll encounter and will need to overcome. Let's take a look at five of these enemies to your success in career and life and consider ways to defeat them.

1. Lack of focus. It's difficult to be successful if you don't focus daily on what is truly important to your success. Many of us get distracted by unnecessary tasks instead of staying keyed in on what is necessary. To help with this stay off of social media when you're working and avoid multi-tasking. Complete one task at a time without distractions before moving on to something else.

2. Lack of effective communication skills. If you communicate in ways that are unclear, rude, or condescending it will be difficult to succeed in life and work. You need the support of others to succeed and you must be able to clearly articulate your vision in ways that motivate and encourage others rather than alienate them.

3. Lack of energy. It will be nearly impossible to be successful if you lack energy and enthusiasm to follow-through on your plans. This requires you to get an appropriate amount of sleep, eat well, avoid excessive alcohol intake, and get some exercise.

4. Lack of direction. Similar to lack of focus is lack of direction but lack of direction is related to the big picture: where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? What is it exactly that you want to accomplish? To hit a goal you first have to set a goal. Without a clear direction your work will be aimless and without any real sense of purpose. Get clear on your mission and goals and you'll have a better shot at the success you want.

5. Lack of support. There are no "self-made" men or women. We all need the support and encouragement of a team around us. Make an effort to develop a strong support system around you, including family, friends, mentors, and colleagues, and you'll find that you are already successful.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: "It’s futile to wallow in your problems, exaggerate your misfortune and keep score of how many hardships you’ve endured....Self-pity keeps you focused on the problem and prevents you from developing a solution."
• Succeed in New Situations: "According to several studies ... the more questions new employees ask and the more help they seek, the better they perform."
• 5 Tips for Running an Awesome Meeting: "Decide how you can change your meeting planning to only cover subjects that require everyone's input or that affect an entire department."
• 6 Habits to Improve Memory and Boost Brain Health: "Multitasking diminishes mental productivity, elevates brain fatigue and increases stress."
• Is the Workplace Responsible for Lack of Confidence?: "The conclusions of the study were that the current work environment does not provide women with female role models or managerial support and encouragement. It endorses an ideal worker stereotype that doesn’t resonate with most women."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Things to Stop Doing at Work

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 5 Things to Immediately Stop Doing at Work: "You may be so used to trying to knock three things off of your to-do list at once that focusing on a single task seems like a luxury. But ... research from Stanford University has shown that your productivity seriously suffers when you attempt to accomplish too much at the same time."


• 10 Career Lessons You Should Learn by Your 30s: "It’s not always easy to spot the "good eggs" from those who are insincere or who have a bad reputation that could tarnish yours. And if you’ve made professional enemies, their impressions could come back to haunt you later in your career."


• Stop Trying to Please Everyone: "While saying yes to every assignment may initially please senior execs, it usually leaves people over-stressed and inundated with work — a lot of which ends up half-finished or forgotten. In the long run, no one is happy."


• 6 Ways Women Sabotage Their Professional Success: "What message do you want to send? Pay attention to your language, choose your words carefully and for goodness’ sake, do not use minimizing language that takes away the power of your message."


• If You're Not Happy Make a Change: "Simply taking action doesn’t guarantee results ... But if you don’t take action there is only one guarantee, and that is your situation will never improve and you will remain unhappy."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Stop Sabotaging Your Success!

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 4 Ways to Stop Sabotaging Your Success: "No matter how skilled you think you are at dividing your attention, you really are more effective when you focus. Don’t jump ahead or try to do it all at once in an effort to save time. You’ll feel more accomplished, building momentum you need to go onto the next task, if you complete just one task at a time."


• Tips for Being Super-Productive When Working from Home: "Set limits and focus on time sensitive projects first. It is also important to schedule more important tasks at the time of day when you are most productive. Tune into your body and learn when you are most alert and concentrated."


• Empathy is Key to a Great Meeting: "Empathy is a competency that allows you to read people. Who is supporting whom? Who is pissed off and who is coasting? Where is the resistance? This isn’t as easy as it seems."


• Keys to Overcome Fear and Do Better at Work: "To dare risk jumping out of your comfort zone changes the way people respond to you ... That changes the way you see yourself."


• When a Co-worker Becomes Your New Boss: "Use this as an opportunity to clean up your behavior. Ditch the jealousy, and look to your new manager as a role model. How is she delivering on what the company values?"

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Most Important Career Decision You'll Make

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The Most Important Career Decision You'll Make: "If you're at a career crossroads and considering whether to leave your job this year, your fulfillment rests on one decision."


• 4 Ways to Break Free from Being "Too Busy": "Make sure to not only carve out time for yourself, but to actually acknowledge that you’re on the “leisure clock.” Don’t multitask—enjoy the downtime."


• Career Advice for My Younger Self: "Recruiters get hundreds of applications from candidates with similar qualifications and experience. It's important to produce something a bit different to get noticed."


• 7 Resume Strategies for the Long-Term Unemployed: "Either in your resume or on your cover letter, address the fact that you've had a large employment gap and give it some context."


• 8 Ways to Stand Out on LinkedIn: "If you have good recommendations and other candidates they’ve found do not have any recommendations, who do you think they’ll call for an interview?"

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Stop Multitasking!

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video, author Gina Trapani suggests that some types of multitasking costs us more time than we save and when switching tasks our "work suffers" and "it takes longer".

Watch the video below for more: