How To Keep Focused While Wearing The Many Hats Of Entrepreneurship

If you are anything like me, clocking in sun up to sun down and trying to keep your business afloat, you can most likely relate to having so many things that require your full attention that more often than not, you end up not being able to your full, undivided attention to even half of them, if any at all! And not only does your business call for your attention but your family and home life require it as well, and just as much (if not more!)

It can sometimes feel like you’re being pulled in twenty different directions and more often than not, you’re left feeling exhausted at the end of every day. With so many things demanding your attention and (what feels like) so little time to give to every single one, it can be difficult to focus on any one thing at all and then we start to feel like we’re falling behind in our work days both physically as well as mentally. 

I’ve put together a list of my top tips that will help you keep the balance between work, business and home life without feeling like you’re letting one fall by the wayside!

Plan Ahead

As a company that creates planners, we know organisation. We know how important and life-changing it can be to schedule things ahead of time and plan your day. Take a second and think about your upcoming week, all the to-dos and appointments. Now imagine writing all of those things down, giving each its allotted time to be thought through and tackling them one at a time. In my opinion, the best way to improve focus and productivity is to give SPECIFIC time to each item that needs undivided attention. Nothing kills time like stressing over how you don’t have any of it - eliminating the mental craziness greatly improves your focus and speeds up your productivity giving you more time for the unexpected things that are also bound to happen every now and then as well!

Ask For Help

There are going to be times when you just can’t get it all done and maintain your level of quality - or sanity for that matter - and that’s OK! Life is hard, work is hard and running your own business is HARD. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Bring in an intern, outsource some work or just ask your husband to take care of dinner. Eliminating some of the workload can help you reconnect with the things that you need to really focus in on and is just therapeutic overall as well! 

Practice Wellness And Mindfulness

Focus requires mental clarity and that clarity can be achieved a number of ways but it all comes back to your physical wellness. If you are sacrificing too much sleep, not getting enough physical activity or not keeping your diet healthy, it is going to be much harder to zone in your work and feel good about it. Get up earlier in the morning and make time for a good breakfast, go for a walk during your lunch break or pack a salad and big water bottle for lunch! Practicing breathwork is another great way to centre and ground yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a few moments to bring your focus back to your breathing. You’ll notice the difference almost immediately.  I also find that writing down my thoughts in a journal gives me so much clarity and purpose. Always ensure you get your body moving every day AND make sure you do one thing every day that brings you joy and love. It’s these small things that will make a huge impact on your mental clarity and transform your ability to focus for longer periods of time!

Say ‘No’

If you just simply don’t have the time and can’t get anyone to help - set boundaries and don’t be afraid to just say no. You are not going to be able to do whatever it is to the best of your ability if you attempt to conquer it anyway, or you are most likely going to be compromising in another area, so sometimes it is just best to get real with yourself and realize you can’t always do it all. Be thoughtful and intentional about what you want to do. If you really want to be able to focus on all that you have laid out in front of you, get realistic about it and don’t try to please everybody because there is a good chance you will find yourself not being able to please anybody.

There are so many different ways to improve your focus. These are just some of my favourites that I rely on daily! Remember to give yourself a break and you will get through everything you need to do. Even if you end up utilizing only one of these, it can radically change your day and your work environment.