What I didn’t realize when I reached my big lofty goal of moving to paradise is that staying focused on your business can be difficult. There are so many things fun things that I can be doing other than working on my business. I could be going to the beach, going to the pool, or going to the gym. I could also be working on my house, painting walls, shopping for new furniture, or unpacking boxes. So today, I am refocused on my work by using the following tips for staying focused on your business.
Staying Focused on Your Business – Tips and Tricks
1. Re-Focus on Your Motivating Mission
My mission is help entrepreneurial women start or grow their business through my writing and teaching so that we can enjoy living near the beach. For more details on how to find your motivating mission, click here. After reading your mission again, ask the question, “What do I need to reach my mission?”
2. Turn Off All the Distractions and Shut the Door
I know that I am easily distracted so I must do what I can to eliminate distractions. For me this means putting my phone on silent, turning off notifications, and shutting my door. If you find that working on a computer causes more distractions for you, grab a pad of paper and a pen. On that piece of paper, start writing freely everything that you must do to reach your mission. Write it anyway you like, in a paragraph, in a list, or draw some pictures that represent your tasks. You can also write how you’re feeling about those tasks. This is for your eyes only so you can whine, moan, and complain about it if you want.
3. Write a Prioritized Task List
Look back over that note you just made and turn it into a prioritized task list by asking yourself what’s the #1 thing that I need to do right now. What is next action, and what is last action? Focus on the #1 thing.
4. Set a Timer for Staying Focused on Your Business
Now that you know exactly what you need to work on, use a simple kitchen timer or the timer on your phone you can create a dedicated time for accomplishing your work. I like to use 45 minute time increments. You can adjust the amount of time to see what works best for you.
5. Take a Walk or a Break
After working that for 45 minutes, give yourself a 10 or 20 minute break. I like to go take a walk around the block. When I worked at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, I realized that people who smoked got more breaks than me. My solution, I pretended to smoke so that I could take little breaks outside and watch the dolphins playing in the Miami Bay.
While you’re taking that walk, follow the next tip of acting like the person who has reached her goals and know that you deserve happiness and success.
6. Start Acting as the Person Who Has Reached Their Vision
This is something that used to be hard for me to do. But the more I started acting like the person that I want to become the easier it is to become her. For example, if your future self exercises every day to be healthy, then your present self needs to do that too. Remove anything from your life, one thing at a time, that is contrary to or a roadblock to your vision coming true.
7. Take Action Towards Your Big Lofty Goals But Keep it Fun
The only way to succeed in anything in life is to take action. No vision will ever come true if you don’t put concrete steps in place that help you get closer to your goals. All the planning in the world will not pay off without the action. Implementation of the plans you make is key to success. If you want to lose weight, you must eat less. It’s just a fact. If you want to succeed in business, you must do business things regularly that lead to earning income. Look for ways to mix fun and fitness with your work either by blocking out the time for both or by bringing a bit of work to the beach or poolside.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks for staying focused on your business even when you live in paradise.
