Have you ever been stuck in your work and had a hard time focusing? It can be having more on your plate, having long hours at the office or even getting frustrated in the morning. 

Sometimes you feel unmotivated and devoid of ideas. You can stop the feeling by learning how to prioritize your tasks.

Prioritizing is a pivotal step in keeping our minds focused on our work. 

A task at hand doesn’t always mean that it deserves top priority over another task, such as saving for a new car. 

The key to thinking strategically about your daily tasks is practicing taking small steps toward completing a task instead of jumping straight to the next thing. 

By taking small steps toward completing small tasks throughout the day, you’ll feel more accomplished.

Here are a few ways you can prioritize if you have trouble focusing on your work and time management. It’s time to stop losing sleep and prioritize solving problems.

Make a to-do list

One challenge that goes hand in hand with having a very busy schedule is being able to prioritize your tasks. This can also be difficult when you’re forced to juggle more than one thing at a time.

So, before you work on your projects, get rid of all the other things on your mind. 

Leftovers from a previous project, or unfinished projects from the past; these unhelpful items clutter your brain which makes it difficult to concentrate on your work.

Getting a head start on anything takes discipline. And here’s why having a to-do list makes you more productive: I’ve learned that your ability to focus is very much linked to your ability to get organized. 

It’s the same reason I write everything you need to do in advance so you have no excuse not to do it. 

As the saying goes, “if you can’t concentrate, you won’t accomplish anything.” Therefore, being organized can help you stay focused and get things done.

When you keep a list of your tasks, it is easier to stay motivated and maintain good work habits. It can also help you get the most out of your day, which increases the quality of your work.

Use the ‘rule of three’ to focus on your top three priorities.

The rule of three is a productivity hack that helps you get stuff done and makes it easier to prioritize tasks in your life.

The rule says you should tackle tasks in increasing order of difficulty: (1) easiest first, (2) harder but more important tasks and finally (3) the ones that give you less energy and enthusiasm. 

For example, if you have a hard time focusing on that email, it’s probably best to shift your focus to something else – like writing an article or enter that data  – and then wrestling back the motivation to finish the email.

I’ve found that although we’re all guilty of multitasking, sometimes we can get caught up in the “I have to do this and then that” thinking and end up neglecting other important tasks. 

I recently experienced this at work where I had to clear my calendar for almost two weeks, and work from Monday to Saturday lacking sleep. 

I could not successfully tackle my most important projects during those scheduled working hours. 

However, by implementing the “rule of three” I could focus on my vital tasks instead of allowing them to fall through the cracks.

Determine the level of focus needed to complete each task

Prioritization is more important for tasks that demand your full attention. Here are some things to keep in mind. 

Paying attention to details may reduce stress while also helping you form better habits – staying on task, staying focused. 

If you find you are struggling to focus and commit to a task, try looking at your commitments over a two-day window. 

Deciding early on which tasks should be part of your day will help you become more productive and perform at your best every time you work on a project. 

For example, if you’re working at the office on Monday and have to go to the gym on Wednesday, the second task might be to write the tasks you need to complete on Friday. This strategy may feel more manageable if you have some tasks completed by Thursday and Friday. 

Conclusion:

If you’re having trouble focusing, it’s time to stop losing sleep and prioritize solving the problem. 

Prioritizing is a skill that’s extremely useful for anyone who works in an environment where interruptions are common and deadlines are looming.

Schedules, appointments, emails and other daily distractions can become overwhelming quickly. 

We’ve provided a few ways for you to get started with prioritizing your work so that nothing falls through the cracks and everything gets done efficiently. 

We recommend you try the three methods mentioned above. You can also use our free time-management checklist if you need help to get started!

Have any of these methods worked for you? Let us know in the comments section!