CORPORATE SUFI : Why focusing on who you are is key

“I always want to stay focused on who I am, even as I’m discovering who I am” – Alicia Keys

What can you do yesterday? Nothing, because yesterday is gone. What will you do tomorrow? Not sure, because no one can predict tomorrow. What is left is today and, more precisely, now.

What will you do now? You can easily get side tracked and do menial tasks or check emails, most of which are not important, or attend to phone calls, which interrupt your focus on the most important things. How many interruptions do you experience every day? By the end of the day, are you exhausted just from the interruptions you get?

Come to think of it, focus is a critical differentiator of success. Your time is your life and the most valuable asset you have. You want to extend it by design, not by accident, and your focus is the most powerful tool in actualizing this asset.

How to increase focus:

1. Attract Success – As soon as you get up from bed spend three minutes visualizing and feeling your best day ever. Imagine the ideal outcome you expect from the day. Go into as much detail as you can and feel the success. Throughout the day carry that feeling with you and watch not only how powerfully you attract it.

2. Prioritize - Success is not necessarily in doing a lot of things, rather in doing fewer things but making sure they are the most important things to do and doing them well. Once you complete these tasks, you will experience a burst of enthusiasm and drive for the rest of the day.

3. Maintain a healthy work-life balance – Contrary to popular opinion sacrificing your personal life for your work makes you a far less effective worker. Richard Branson often credits the time spent with his family for thinking up some of his best ideas for business.

4. Cleanse your mind for 20 minutes a day - As you start your day, set aside some time for yourself. This is the time when you should introspect, take a deep breath and meditate. Let your mind be a clean slate, a tabula rasa, for at least 15 minutes a day. It will help you to slow down, de-stress and unwind.

5. Unplug for some time daily - A 2012 study by UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers found that spending time away from work email significantly reduces stress and enhances one’s ability to focus. So unplug your social connectivity for 2-3 hours at least couple times daily. Use that time to plan and execute your most important tasks for the day or simply meditate.

6. Keep yourself hydrated – Our brain is 75% water. It is no wonder then that hydration and brain function are innately linked. Dehydration can cause several symptoms including lack of focus, poor retention, brain fog and sleepiness. In the long run, it can also lead to mood swings and depression. Instead of reaching out for coffee, reach out for water or unsweetened vegetable or fruit juice.

7. Listen to music -Background music, especially instrumental music, has been found to enhance performance on cognitive tasks, provided you like the music. According to “The Mozart Effect,” listening to Mozart can increase creativity, concentration, and other cognitive functions. Some people even use “white noise” apps like nature sounds or gentle music to help them concentrate better and avoid distractions.

This article is part of the A to Z Corporate Sufi series