This is Part 4 of my Divine Productivity Hacks series. Click here to see the other posts in the series!
We live in a time of impoverished attention—in our work, in our families, and in our goals. According to a study done by the National Center of Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of a human in 2013 clocked in at 8 seconds—one second less than a goldfish.
Another study done by Gloria Mark, a professor who studies digital distraction at the University of California, measured only three minutes of consistent focus an employee has before he or she gets interrupted or self-interrupts.
Our lack of attention is causing us to lose at the game of life, because what happens because of poor attention is that we spend more hours at work trying to accomplish the projects that should’ve taken just one or two hours. We take time away from our family, and we stay stuck at our jobs.
Truly, fixing our attention span can take us far in life.
Researching statistics on this issue caused me to do my own personal investigation. I measured how many times I distracted myself while “focusing” on a project. The results were painful. And what was even more appalling was that my results were better than how much time the average person wastes, meaning my lack of attention was considered better than others.
Realizing this problem, I put in place measures to stay focused on the task at hand.
The answer to better work, more time with family, promotions, and achieving your goals is simply to be more focused with your work.
In Mark 12:44, Jesus and the disciples watch as rich and poor put money as offering at the temple. Rich individuals give a large portion of money, but Jesus is impressed by the poor woman who gives all she has. Reading this story—though it had to do with money—taught me that when it comes to serving God with your work, family, and other areas of your life, it’s much better to give everything you have, rather than just more.
It works the same with your work and attention: instead of putting in more hours at work to get your tasks done, the better solution is to give your work everything you have. Make your time at your job more productive with focused work.
This is why I don’t believe in a perfect work-life balance: because when you try giving equal attention to all matters of your life, you’ll end up putting in more effort, attention, and hours to fix your mediocre performance. The answer for better productivity at work, and a better life at home, is focused work—being fully present with your attention at whatever task you’re doing.
Here are some strategies to stay focused with your work:
- Follow the natural rhythm of your day. If you know you’re energized after lunch, then use that time to work. If you know you struggle to focus during a time where you’re suppose to be productive at work, then schedule tasks that require minimal thinking or energy during that time.
- Work in bursts. This has been really helpful for me. Dedicate a period of time where you will do nothing but work on your projects. Set a timer if you helps you better adhere to your time limit. I usually set a time period for 90 minutes, and then break for 20.
- Create a system where others will not distract you. In your office, have a way of letting others know that you are working. A helpful technique is to have a color coded system outside your door—red for no interruptions, yellow for busy but able to talk a bit, and green for come on in.
- Work with someone who will keep you accountable. If you’re fine working with others without getting distracted, be shoulder to shoulder with someone and do your work. If you’re using a computer screen, make sure they can see it, so the fear of embarrassment or losing will keep you from venturing to Facebook.
There are other ways to combat distraction, which I will write about in future posts. The bottom line is, focused work is a habit/skill that has the power to improve all aspects of your life.
In a time of impoverished attention, we truly do benefit from giving all we have.
Photography by Mikaela Hamilton