Controlling our attention goes beyond merely avoiding distractions.

It’s finding the highest and best use for our time, given that we honestly know what’s important to us.

More than anything else, controlling our attention is about being able to figure out what we should be working on.

That is first, identifying our own purpose and goals in life.Then, developing our specific road map to make our purpose, our destiny, a reality.

Here are 9 ideas to help focus our attention on things that will bring the results we seek:

1. Identify the purpose of your life – why do you exist.
2. List the different responsibilities you must complete to help you live out your purpose, that will benefit others as well as ourselves.
3. Prioritize which of those responsibilities you must complete first.
4. Then write down the specific tasks you must accomplish to complete each responsibility.
5. Create a distraction-free work environment by organizing the workspace, silencing notifications on devices, and using tools like noise-canceling headphones to reduce interruptions.
6. Manage your schedule with blocks of time. Allocate specific periods for focused work and breaks.
7. No multitasking. Resist that urge. Focus on one task at a time. Multitasking can reduce your efficiency and make it harder to maintain attention on any one thing.
8. Clearly communicate to family, colleagues, and friends that you need focused work time. Setting boundaries help prevent unnecessary interruptions during your work time.
9. Rest, exercise, and practice healthy eating. A well-rested, healthy body and mind are more resilient to distractions and better aid us in staying focused.
   

   This is a world of instant everything. Maintaining our focused attention is a forever struggle. Folks want us to respond within seconds of getting their notifications. Stop. Don’t do it.

   First, remember the purpose of your own existence. If this interruption or annoyance does not fit with your achieving your destiny… IGNORE IT! Of course, unless it’s life or death (smile).

   Next, keep your purpose statement in front of you, as well as your list of goals (and even the steps to getting those goals accomplished).

LIVE YOUR PURPOSE! Focus your attention on getting there!