I'm fairly productive as a person. But the truth is, I get distracted easily and have a hard time staying focused at times.

If I didn't have notes when I was preaching, I would totally get off track. My mind wanders too much.

Thankfully, there are a few things that help me focus. Or, at least, they help prepare the conditions to keep me focused. It's still a discipline issue on my part, but these things help.

Seven things that help me focus on the task at hand:

1. Rest. It could be a 10-minute walk or a nap, but taking a break from what I'm doing helps me better focus when I return to the work. And being well-rested when I start my day helps me face the day with a clearer mind so I can begin to focus. The more tired I am, the more restless my thoughts become.

2. Deadlines. I work better under pressure. I know—that sounds strange, but it's true. And many people do. I sometimes set my own deadlines. If I put a task on my calendar or if I schedule the steps to completion, I'm more likely to discipline myself enough to meet the deadline. Checklists are my friend.

3. Passion. If I'm passionate about a project—I mean really passionate—I'll invest the energy and stay focused to complete the task. That's true about most things that grab our passion. Without passion, I give up quickly. If it's something I know I have to do, I even ask God to give me passion and enthusiasm. I return to the roots of where my passion began. I review the purpose of my calling.

4. Encouragement. It may seem petty, but sometimes one well-worded email can break a period of distraction and push me to focus on the task. It reminds me why I need to discipline myself to move forward. That's why I keep an "encouragement file." Basically, anytime someone emails me an encouraging email, I set it aside. When I need to focus better, especially when doing things I don't enjoy as much, nothing redirects my energy any quicker than reviewing this file.

5. Success. Following a big "win," I am motivated to work for another. Honestly, it's usually a short-lived window of opportunity, but if I "strike while the iron is hot," I can better "seize the day." This is one reason celebrating success is so important. It motivates you to focus on another moment like this one.

6. Exercise. I'm less disciplined, less motivated and less content when I'm out of my exercise routine. Actually, I'm less happy overall. I recently had some health issues keeping me from running. I could feel the drain of focus. I had to figure out some new exercises to do. Exercise gives me the stamina to do the things I need to do.

7. Systems. I'm not a rigid rule follower. I don't like a lot of structure. However, if there is a system in place, I'm more likely to stay focused to completion. The old saying goes, "if you want something repeated—systematize it." The same is true for completion. You'll be more focused for progress if you develop a system to get you from start to finish. In fact, if someone tells me focus is a problem for them, I almost always encourage them to first look at their system of doing work.

Do you have a problem with focus? What helps you stay focused? 

Ron Edmondson is the senior pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. He is passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life.

For the original article, visit pastors.com.

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