Are distractions hijacking your current inner-peace? Are you thinking about what you need to do today, notifications on your phone, or drawn back into the abyss of some time sucking activity online? If so, this article is for you. In fact, University of California professor, Gloria Mark suggests that this is not only a personal issue, but a business issue, costing hundreds of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. So, whether you’re reviewing this article for self-help to improve focus or stumbled upon it and want to see how it could help your firm, read on.

The purpose of this article is to shed some light on mindfulness, multitasking, and steps to increase your focus of being in the NOW.

• Mindful. It isn’t a hipster new trend. It is a way of life. Mindfulness is the practice of being in the moment, recognizing and acting upon your thoughts, emotions, and perceptions toward whatever it is that you are experiencing. Mindfulness helps you to tune-out or at the very least for beginner mindfulness practitioners, turn-down those distractions. Imagine being able to truly be and live in the moment. What would that feel like for you? Would you feel more control over you day versus your day controlling you? Would you be able to start and finish a project without thinking about the other ten, no wait, twenty things that you also have to do for the day? Would you able to truly know what you can handle, how you can handle it, and how to use that level of understanding to build an empire of success that fits your abilities versus running amok and hoping you can finish everything?

• Multi-tasking. Your distractions today, could be impacting your future for tomorrow. These distractions can come in many forms, including multitasking. Yes, multitasking could potentially be sabotaging your mindfulness focus, but it can also harm your overall productivity. In fact, Stanford University conducted a research study of participants that we in a traditional setting of distractions, such as emails, social media networking sites, and web browsing to one group of participants. Then in another group, no electronic distractions, and just the assessment in front of them. Participants that were in the multitasking group scored significantly lower than those in the other setting. Illustrating, that in highly saturated distraction environment, getting things done is significantly harder.

• Now. Being in the moment allows you to be you. To truly embrace your ideas, creativity, emotions, and analysis of whatever it is that is in front of you. Whether that is a huge business deal that could impact your career or being hit with your final notice and trying to figure out which direction to go. Mindfulness is a courageous tool to aid you in living in the now. To face the situation. To be at peace with the situation. To create more informed solutions, rather than running from stress of situations, people, or deadlines. Practice focus. Distance your distractions. This may include blocking out time for your project, turning off notifications, scheduling a time when you review your emails, voice-mails, or other communications. Basically, not making yourself readily available to anyone at anytime – you’re hurting your productivity, and quite frankly would be undeserving them. Therefore, make the time for each of your tasks, activities, or projects. Set that time. Stick to that time, and while you’re there, be there.

You, your clients, team, and management will thank you as your quality of life, projects, and interactions with people will improve.

Great Read that Will Rock Your Focus World…

Dumaine, B. (2014). The Kings of Concentration. Inc. Retrieved:

Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Business & Accounting at Stevens–Henager College

Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC