Focus

Work

Learn To Take ‘Real Breaks’ To Stay Motivated

11:30PM November 18, 2011 | Alan Henry

If you find your attention wandering over the course of the day, and you have a difficult time staying engaged and motivated with your tasks, the secret may be in planning specific times where you dive into your work, and other times where you take real breaks — as in times when you do something completely unrelated to your job to recharge. More »

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Focusbar Intelligently Reminds You To Avoid Procrastination

8:00AM October 19, 2011 | Adam Dachis

Mac: If you find that procrastination often gets the best of you and you need help focusing on your work, Focusbar is a free utility that can help you out. It pays attention to what application you’re using to do your work and bugs you when you sneak off to do other, less productive things. More »

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How Do You Refocus Your Mind After It’s Wandered Off?

11:30PM September 22, 2011 | Melanie Pinola

Spacing out is normal — it happens during meetings, when we’re reading, even driving. If you want to improve your concentration and learn to refocus your brain after it’s taken its break, MSN and health site Prevention offer some tips. More »

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Stop Procrastinating And Dash Through Tasks With A Timer

1:00AM September 15, 2011 | Gina Trapani and Adam Pash

The only way to stop procrastinating is to simply start the task you’ve been putting off. Of course you’re thinking: Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious. We all know that “just do it” sounds simple, but in reality, starting on a dreaded to-do can feel impossible. More »

Work

Take Time To Reflect And Review Your Work To Focus On What’s Important

10:00PM September 6, 2011 | Alan Henry

It’s easy to get caught up with the sheer amount of work to be done on any given day to stop and take stock of what you’ve already accomplished. We’ve discussed how keeping a work diary can help when your performance review comes around, but it can also help you focus, pay attention to what you’ve done, and hone in on what to do next. More »

Work

Maintain Focus On Your Goals By Treating Your Life Like A Diet

11:00PM September 2, 2011 | Melanie Pinola

When trying to lose weight or get healthier, most people clear out the junk food and sugar. The Harvard Business Review suggests treating the rest of your life like this — restructure your environment to focus on your most important priorities. More »

Work

Hide Other Apps And Focus On Work With A Keyboard Shortcut

12:00AM July 21, 2011 | Alan Henry

Mac: Most Mac users know how to hide an application, but when it’s not the application you’re working in that needs to go away, Cmd+Opt+H will hide all of the other apps running so you can focus on what you’re doing and get some work done. More »

Work

Re-Examine What It Means To Be Productive For Better Work-Life Balance

11:00PM July 7, 2011 | Alan Henry

Too often most work boils down to checking off items on a to-do list and getting through the day. By re-evaluating what it really means to be productive and remembering to focus, you can ensure you’re making progress to a goal and not spinning your wheels. More »

Organise

Get Shit Done Blocks Distracting Websites So You Can Do As The Name Instructs

10:30PM June 29, 2011 | Adam Dachis

Get Shit Done is a command-line utility that blocks popular, known-to-be-distracting websites so you can get your work done. Even if you’re not a command line pro, it’s pretty simple to use and blocks time-sucking sites without fail. More »

Work

Actually Finish Projects By Focusing On What’s Undone

9:30AM June 24, 2011 | Melanie Pinola

There are two ways to look at your progress on current projects to stay motivated: focusing on all you’ve already accomplished (e.g. you lost 10kg out of your 20kg goal) or what’s left to accomplish (just 10kg more). Guess which one is more effective? More »