Everyday, our World is changing and it takes more effort to stay focused. A research study carried out by Gloria Mark at UC Irvine, found proof that our work life really is as bad as it feels. Each knowledge worker she studied spent only 11 minutes at a time on any given project before being interrupted. The problem with this is that research has also shown that once you've been interrupted, it would take around 20 to 25minutes on average to get focused on the original task.

Why the Problem?

What is the problem? Why are we in this situation? First, it is important to understand that in the western world, most jobs we do today are what we call 'Knowledge work'. It was Peter Drucker in his book 'The Effective Executive' that coined the phrase 'Knowledge worker' which was to describe a person working in the information/knowledge industry. Many of us are no longer doing manual jobs, the way it was done in the industrial age. Technology has increased by 10,000 fold and is still rapidly increasing and we (Knowledge workers) have to constantly keep up with the pace.

What interrupts your focus?

In a study done by Rich Schefren, he discovered that some of the main interruptions that we face today were:

These were just a few major ones identified among many. He also identified internal interruptions such as our thoughts, emotions and what we say to ourselves.

How can we solve this?

If you are finding it hard to focus, below are 4 points to keep in mind so that you can minimize interruptions externally:

1. Plan Your Week Ahead

If you've read the '7 Habits of Highly Effective' people or 'First Things First' (both books by Stephen Covey), then you will be familiar with the idea of planning your week ahead, but to really have a productive focused week, you really need to have an idea of where you are going, the overall big picture of your life or business, what I call your vision. When this is established, then you can set goals, yearly, quarterly, monthly and then weekly. You will be in a better position to know what to focus on each week as you follow your weekly plan.

At the beginning of each week, block out the most important tasks with a date and time and make a commitment to follow through on them. Make sure that you are spending your time on productive activities.

In addition to your weekly plan, review your schedule for the coming day the night before so that you already have an idea on how you are to spend it.

2. Schedule one or two full hours of uninterrupted time for Projects

Another tip is to block out a minimum of an hour or better still two hours for projects you are working on- this should be uninterrupted time. This is because the more time you spend doing one single task the more focused you become.

3. Block out specific times of the day to check emails.

Rather than letting your emails determine your actions, take control by deciding beforehand when you are going to check it. Make sure that you switch off any sound that your computer might make whenever you get an email as this is bound to distract you and make you feel like you need to know what email that is.

You can decide to check your emails three times a day e.g. first thing in the morning, sometime at lunch and then just before the close of business. If you want, you can let your clients and colleagues know by sending them an email explaining when you are going to be checking your emails and if they need to reach you urgently they can use another means - which you can specify.

4. Only attempt a certain number of tasks each day