Most of these eight shifts will make complete sense the moment you read them. Knowing them isn’t the hard part. The hard part is practicing them. I’m still practicing. Some are habits I’m still building, and a few I lose and have to find again.
When they do become habits, the time and the focus shows up.
Here they are…
1. Step out of the back-to-back meeting grind
Build breaks and focus time into your schedule. If you’re a manager, this one multiplies…every meeting you shorten, space out, or cancel gives you and your team back time for the work they were hired to do.
2. Limit hard and heavy conversations to no more than two in a day
A performance conversation, an employee relations issue, a decision someone won’t want to hear... these conversations drain you emotionally and physically. You need time to recover and reset before the next one.
3. Resist the urge to answer emails as they come in
Each reply feels small, and yet each one pulls you out of the work you were in the middle of. Carve out set blocks of time for your inbox instead and let the rest of the time belong to deeper work.
4. When you’re in that email block, answer it the first time
If you know the response, send it. Stop circling back and saving it for later. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read and re-read the same email, putting off a reply I already knew. I don’t even want to know how much time that cost me.
5. Find five minutes to renew your focus
The tried-and-true “walk away and come back” works. Step away from the scene of the work, even if the scene is your kitchen table between video calls. Coming back with fresh focus can solve a problem faster than sitting in front of it for hours.
6. Climb out of the social media rabbit hole
Once upon a time, social media was where we reconnected with long-lost friends and family. Now much of it is scrolling through ads, people selling you the life you want, and funny pet reels (I still love these).
At work, it’s the phone face up next to the laptop, and the quick scroll between meetings that somehow takes fifteen minutes. Track your screen time if you’re ready for a rude awakening... my own stats shook me out of my daze. Set a timer to keep yourself aware and to limit your scrolling.
7. Skip the podcast some days
I love information, and I love listening to experts talk about anything and everything. Some days, though, the input never stops... an episode on the commute, another while I clear my inbox, until all the knowledge, worries, and takeaways leave me feeling like I have less time than when I started.
So let them talk all they want... and let me sing along to a favorite song every now and then.
8. Weave wellness into your day, even the workday
I started moving my body more in the mornings (walking, a workout, or just dancing to a great song), and the difference followed me to my desk. Somehow, I have more focus and energy, and the day starts on a positive note.
I hope these eight shifts give you back some time and focus in your days. Stay tuned for part 4, we are almost to the finish line.
With gratitude,
Cristal
Founder, Clahrity | getclahrity.com