10 Habits to Help You Stay Focused and Get More Done Each Day

Staying focused and getting things done can be tough with all the distractions around us. Phones, emails, co-workers, and social media make it hard to concentrate. But being able to tune out distractions and work efficiently is key to reaching your goals.

Developing consistent daily habits and routines can help train your mind to focus better and make the most of your time. Studies show it takes about 66 days to build a new habit. By intentionally adding small habits to your mornings, workdays, and evenings, you can become more productive over time. The trick is to find routines that fit your lifestyle and repeat them until they stick.

The common belief that it takes 21 days to form a habit originates from Dr. Maxwell Maltz's 1960 book "Psycho-Cybernetics." While Maltz did not explicitly state this as a universal truth, he observed a pattern in himself and his patients, taking about 21 days to adjust to new situations.

"These, and many other commonly observed phenomena, tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to gel."

Over time the book gained popularity with over 30 million copies sold, this observation was widely accepted as a factual rule.

There are a few things that can help to make it easier to form a new habit, such as:

• Making the habit small and easy to do. This will make it more likely that you will stick with it.

• Finding a cue to remind you to do the habit. This could be a time of day, a place, or an event.

• Rewarding yourself for doing the habit. This will help to make the habit more enjoyable and make you more likely to stick with it.

• Not giving up if you slip up. Everyone slips up from time to time. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as possible.

In this post, we'll look at 10 habits to help you stay focused and accomplish more each day. These habits cover morning routines to start strong and workday practices to minimize distractions. Start by adding one new habit at a time to gradually improve your concentration and productivity.

1. Start Your Day Right

How you begin your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Having intentional morning routines and rituals helps you feel focused and productive.

• Exercise: Get your body moving with a quick workout to clear your mind and feel more energized.

• Meditate: Clear your mind with 5-10 minutes of meditation to improve focus. Apps like Calm can guide you.

• Eat breakfast: Refuel with a balanced breakfast to get the energy you need and avoid crashes later.

• Review your MIT list: Make a daily MIT list (Most Important Tasks) to prioritize what you want to accomplish each day.

2. Limit Distractions

Distractions like phones, social media, co-workers, and notifications break your focus. Set boundaries to minimize distractions.

• Turn off notifications: Mute non-essential apps and emails to avoid distraction.

• Set phone boundaries: Put your phone in do not disturb mode and set times you will not check it.

• Close tabs: Close out of apps and browser tabs not needed for the current task.

• Noise-canceling headphones: Wear headphones (even without music) to tune out distracting noises.

3. Take Breaks

Taking regular short breaks throughout the day helps recharge your focus. Use the Pomodoro technique to work in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks.

• Get up and move during breaks: stretch, walk around, grab a snack.

• Change environments: get outside or go to a different area.

• Reset your brain: look away from your screen, listen to music, doodle.

4. Declutter Your Workspace

Clutter competes for your attention. Keep your desk clear of everything but essential tools for the current task.

• Organize supplies: Keep pens, highlighters, notebooks, etc. in their own storage.

• Tidy desk throughout the day: Tidy your area before lunch or breaks if needed so it won’t become distracting and overwhelming.

• Tidy desk at day's end: File everything away and wipe down your desk to start fresh tomorrow.

5. Prioritize Important Tasks

Use frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to determine urgent/important tasks. Focus on high-priority tasks during peak energy hours.

• Make a MIT list: List your 3 Most Important Tasks to accomplish each day.

• Focus on one task: Avoid context switching and focus on one MIT at a time.

6. Avoid Multitasking

Multitasking lowers efficiency by overloading your brain. Give your full attention to one task until completion.

• Group similar tasks: Batch similar tasks to maintain focus, like answering emails all at once.

• Remove distraction sources: Turn off notifications, close browser tabs, silence your phone.

7. Take notes

Writing things down clears mental space so you can stay present. Jot down ideas, to-dos, and meeting notes.

• Carry a notebook: Have a small notebook handy to capture thoughts and ideas throughout your day.

• Write down tasks: Maintaining a running task list offloads items from your brain.

8. Schedule focus time

Carve out blocks of time for deep work. Disable distractions during these periods to work without interruption.

• Batch tasks: Group smaller tasks together to create time for deeper work.

• Limit meetings: Schedule meetings before/after focus time blocks.

9. Reflect and improve

Periodically review what habits and routines are working for you. Identify areas to try new strategies.

• Keep a journal: Write daily entries on productivity levels, distractions, etc.

• Track progress: Use apps to record tasks accomplished and time spent focused.

10. Reward yourself

Celebrate progress and be kind to yourself. Build in small rewards to motivate and recharge.

• Schedule breaks: Plan set times for both work and rest.

• Treat yourself: Take time to do something you enjoy after reaching a milestone.

Final Thoughts

Implementing even a few of these habits can make a big difference in your ability to focus and use your time productively. Start small by picking 1-2 habits to turn into daily routines. Over time you will have better concentration, accomplish more high-value tasks, and reach your big-picture goals.

The key is finding what works for your lifestyle and sticking to it. Experiment with different habits and see how they impact your days. Maintain self-compassion as you build routines - change takes time.

Focus and productivity stem from intentional habits practiced consistently. By developing morning rituals, minimizing distractions, taking breaks, prioritizing tasks, and rewarding progress, you can achieve lasting improvements. What habit will you start incorporating first? Let us know the strategies that work best for you in the comments below!