Take Two To Focus

Picture by Andrew Leigh (my hubby)

If you're any bit like me, starting a task can be tricky. It's not that you won't start, it's that you'll start but not really get going at full steam right away. Like your energy is still dispersed and can't be put into the task you're about to undertake. Does that ever happen to you?

It happens to me often, and not only do I lose time because of these distractions, I also get really frustrated with myself. I'm usually a pretty laid-back kinda gal, but feeling like I'm wasting my own time can stress me out like nothing else. If you don't believe me, ask my husband!
Now, if I have problems focusing my energy on the right thing, I take some minutes before I begin to direct my mind.
 

Get everything you need for your task ready. This exercise is kind of pointless if, two minutes into your activity, you have to get up to use the bathroom or get a cup of coffee. Get ready to go and comfortable.
Now, try to relax your mind and body. Let go of all the little things that are bothering you, everything that's on your mind, even the task at hand.
Close your eyes (turns attention inward). Breathe slowly and deeply. Say you take about 10 breaths, at inhalation 7 or so, you start getting your mind in the right mood for the task.
Think of it as telling your mind that in about 3 breaths you're going to start your work, and you're going to be completely ready for it. Over the last three breaths, you build up your focus and when you open your eyes, you're good to go!

I find that this works really well for me, especially when I want to do some novel writing, that takes a lot of focus to dive into the story again and ignore everything else on my computer. It's also good for speeding up tasks that normally take a long time because they're so incredibly dull (I'm thinking of correcting essays here).

Have you tried this? Does it work for you, or not at all?