Though we live in a very exciting time in history, it is filled with distractions. Regardless, you and I still have to get real work done. That requires focus.

But what if mental focus is not something you either have or don’t have? What if it’s something you could create, on-demand, whenever you need it?

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Here are ten tactics I use to create more mental focus when I need it:

Block off time on your calendar.

Isolate yourself in a quiet place.

Turn the room temperature down.

Get comfortable.

Take email and social media software offline.

Put on music that helps facilitate concentration.

Have something on-hand to drink.

Avoid high glycemic carbohydrates.

Set mini-goals.

Set a timer and take predetermined breaks.

In a world of distraction and competing demands, mental focus is a scarce yet precious commodity. If you want more of it, you will have to be intentional about getting it.

Listener Questions

Alex Barker asked, “How do you regain mental focus after a long day at work and then with the family?”

Joseph Consford asked, “How do I keep from getting side-tracked from rabbit trails of my own making?”

Paul Hunt asked, “How do I keep my mental focus on the project at hand when I really would rather be working on something else?"

Sharad Verma asked, “How do you focus when you are forced to multi-task?”

Timothy Moser asked, “Do you have any tips for increasing focus when trying to read in the midst of distractions?”

Special Announcements

If you are considering launching your own platform—or just getting serious about it—you need to start with a self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, I have put together a step-by-step screencast on exactly how to do it. You don’t need any technical knowledge. I walk you through the entire process in exactly 20 minutes.

The Launch Conference for this fall is filling up fast. In case you don’t know, this is the conference for professional speakers or those who want to be. It’s all about the business of public speaking.

Specifically, we teach you a powerful, four-part framework that enables you to:

Discover your assets;

Design your products;

Develop your market; and

Determine your value.

This is the conference that launched me into my professional speaking career. We will be holding the conference on September 16–19 in beautiful Vail Colorado.

This is one conference that will pay for itself almost immediately. I paid for mine in the first month after I attended.

My next podcast will be on the topic of “What I Learned About Leadership from a Fight with My Wife.” If you have a question on this subject, please leave me a voicemail message. This is a terrific way to cross-promote YOUR blog or website, because I will link to it, just like I did with the callers in this episode.

Episode Resources

In this episode I mentioned several resources, including:

App: