The Real Reasons You Can’t Focus On Your Work

Focus and attention are scarce resources, only attainable for those who really want them. For those whose actions match their goals. Procrastination is the art of doing something in favour of something more important.

You may have convinced yourself that the procrastination activity is vital. Deep down you know it’s not. Procrastination steals gains. It’s the difference between something great and something that didn’t quite make it. Between a lauded artist and a serial starter who can’t seem to finish.

Here are the real reasons you can’t focus on your work.

You fear success

Lack of focus, leading to procrastination, can be fear manifesting itself into action. Fear of doing the work. Fear of realizing your potential. Fear of putting yourself out there. Of looking silly or being ridiculed.

If fear is creeping in it’s a sign of two things. One, that you need to just get better. And getting better involves practice, Two, that you’re onto something so brilliant that the fear is just of being seen. Of wearing your heart on your sleeve and having your art (writing, music, business, etc) out there in public. Feel the fear and channel it into action.

You’ve lost interest

Being honest, whatever you’re meant to be doing just doesn’t interest you. There’s no draw to start, there’s no reason to stick with it. It feels mundane and futile and you just don’t care. It’s the project you didn’t come up with or the assignment you didn’t set; you have lost all interest and are scraping by doing the bare minimum hoping no one notices.

It’s no way to live. The true professional can do exceptionally even what she abhors. Plucking inspiration out of menial work is the way to regain interest. Or just quit.

Self-sabotage

You have a sneaking suspicion you’re onto something great, but you aren’t doing what’s required. It’s a journey of self-sabotage but you haven’t realized yet. Perhaps you’re not prepared for the success, the fame or the feedback. Getting in your own way is your coping mechanism for staying in your comfort zone.

The world is full of examples of missed potential. The true magic happens when you find the focus and do the work.

You lack purpose

If you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which way you turn. If you haven’t made your plan, everything will feel like it doesn’t fit. Defining your goals and setting your purpose will create the framework from which to know what to do. Until then, you might as well be good at this.

Turning down tasks and deeming them beneath you is the attitude of an amateur. The big jobs go to those who demonstrate their ability to outgrow the small ones. It’s true when you have a boss and when your boss is you.

You haven’t even tried

The hardest part can be getting started. The toughest part of a writer’s day isn’t writing, or editing; it’s sitting down to write. Before that moment, a million things seem more important. Tidying the kitchen, checking the weather, answering that email.

It’s like putting your shoulders under the water in a cold sea. The anticipation is harder than actually doing it. Once you’re submerged, it feels fine and you can start swimming.

You’re making excuses

I can’t do it because I’m not smart enough. I can’t do it because someone is already doing it. I can’t do it because Harry is on holiday. It’s too hot. I feel weird. Something’s come up.  Making excuses is a slippery slope. You make one that you know isn’t completely true and it goes unquestioned, so you start to believe it. The next excuse comes easier, then the third and the fourth. You’ve worked out a way of getting permission for inaction and it feels great.

You might have fooled someone else, but you’re not fooling yourself. At the end of the year you’ll have nothing to show for it and those around you will get wise. These excuses are building your reputation and cutting off your prospects. Find focus or forever achieve approximately zilch.

Your attention span is too short

Goldfish swim around their tank with an attention span, albeit contested, of eight seconds. Humans sit down to complete something and are called away by every notification, pop up, sound outside or miscellaneous thought. You have one job to do yet you can’t seem to focus.

Training focus is a deep skill to be mastered at all costs. The cost of not mastering it is your professional career and everything that might have been. It’s having to live in your fifth choice of neighbourhood. Turning right instead of left when you board a plane. Doing work that is forgotten or remembered. Turn off notifications. Stick to your task. Relearn how to focus.

Confront procrastination head on by working out the cause. It’s likely a sign of bigger things, so work them out and go from there. Reap the rewards that come with consistent, quality output and ignore everything else. It can wait.

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

New Jersey Becomes Latest State To Loosen Penalties For...

Topline Possessing small amounts of psilocybin mushrooms can no longer result in a multiyear...

Coronavirus May Help Major League Soccer Add Quality, Says...

Former MLS soccer player and ESPN broadcaster Taylor Twellman...

4 Ways Smaller Companies Can Easily Boost Their Revenue...

Coronavirus hasn’t been kind to many small businesses. Nevertheless, plenty of startups and modestly...

Dr Reddy’s launches Remdesivir for Covid-19 treatment in India...

HYDERABAD: Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd on Wednesday announced the launch of Remdesivir, meant for...