Improving Focus To Succeed

Many things are going to affect how likely, how quickly and how efficiently you achieve any given goal.

Hard work, skill, luck, discipline, and consistency, to name a few. But there is one that I’d put above the rest, and that’s your ability to focus.

The reason it’s above the rest is that your ability to focus determines the quality of everything else you do. Not only because focus improve your input, but also because of how detrimental a lack of focus can be.

There are two kinds of focus: there’s the short-term focus, which is a type of focus you can only get under specific conditions, in other words, the flow state.

Entering this form of focus will improve your ability to a noticeable degree. Time will disappear, and you’ll feel as though you’re one with your work. There is no better form of human state when discussing peak performance.

Then there’s the other kind of focus, which is the long-term version. This kind of focus isn’t necessarily a state of mind, it’s more of a lifestyle.

The long-term focus doesn’t rely on conditions, it relies on mindset. This one isn’t about how you do the work, it’s really about your ability to come back to the work.

Although they are separate kinds and are quite different, there are two things that you can do that are going to improve both.

Limit Distractions

When talking about improving your focus, or improving anything for that matter, it’s common to associate it with doing more, when in reality, one of the best things you can do is do less.

No, not less work, but less of everything else,

This is especially true when talking about the long-term focus. If you have a goal, then I’m guessing it’s going to take a lot of work, so anything that distracts you from doing the work is only going to slow you down.

If your time and days are getting filled with distractions, you’re only maximising the time it takes to complete the goal.

Distractions are anything that does not necessarily need to be done, especially those that will only decrease your efficiency when actually putting in the work.

If you spend all day Saturday partying, you not only waste Saturday, you limit your ability to work on Sunday too. Why make up for lost time on Monday when you could have simply removed the distraction on the Saturday?

Not everything is a distraction, taking long walks may reduce frustration, stop burnout and allow ideas to flow freely. Only you know what truly acts as a distraction based on the work you do and how your life is.

When discussing the short-term focus, limiting distractions also applies, but is much more understandable.

If you're trying to enter the flow state and keep getting notifications on your phone, or the dog keeps barking, or you keep going on your phone to change the music, then you’re only allowing yourself to be distracted.

Again, only you know what these distractions are, but anything that causes you to think or focus on anything other than the work itself is a distraction and hindrance to your ability to enter flow, so remove them.

Systems

One thing that can seriously help limit distractions is to set up the appropriate systems. Only you control your actions, meaning you’re the only one to blame for a lack of focus.

Creating systems means removing as much decision-making from the process as possible and setting things up so that focus becomes the default, not the exception. You shouldn’t need willpower every time you want to work,  you should have a structure that guides you into it automatically.

This could look like designing your environment for deep work. A clean desk. A single notebook. A browser with only the tools you need open, nothing else. You want to make distraction difficult and focus effortless. If checking your phone is easy, you’ll check it. If it’s in another room, suddenly the urge is no longer there.

It could also look like time-blocking your days so there’s a clear window dedicated to a single task. When the time arrives, you already know what to do. No negotiation, no inner debate. Just sit down and start.

Systems can be routines too. Maybe you make a coffee, put your headphones on, open your editor, and only then does work begin. After a while, your brain recognises the pattern and slips into focus quicker. The ritual becomes the trigger.

The point is to build a life that supports focus rather than fights against it. If you repeatedly struggle to focus, don’t question your abilities, question the structure you’re working within.

Focus isn’t about trying harder in the moment, it’s about preparing so that the moment is easy. Remove the noise, build habits that reduce friction, and make focus a natural by-product of how you live.

Create systems that you can rely on, ones that act as a form of groove in the snow effortlessly guiding you down the slope.

Limit distractions and build proper systems if you want to improve focus and reach your goals faster!