The Power of Focus: How Project Managers Get More Done in Less Time and Avoid Burnout
With a million tasks and demands, tight deadlines, and unexpected surprises around every corner, it’s easy for us to get completely distracted and overwhelmed.
For project managers, finding ways to stay focused is critical for achieving project success, and not burning out in the process.
Many of us struggle to concentrate and focus on the tasks at hand when there’s too much happening around us all at once. Sometimes that feeling of overwhelm results in procrastination.
Let’s take a look at some helpful strategies and tips that our PML team have all tried around managing our time, environment, tools and resources, and personal health. We want to help you stay on top of your project management game, while keeping your sanity!
Why do project managers often struggle to maintain their focus?
Project managers play a critical role in every aspect of managing a project from start to finish.
This involves juggling multiple competing demands and challenges, and having various team members and stakeholders continuously seeking your help and assistance.
It should come as no surprise that project managers often have trouble staying focused and on track when it feels like everything is coming at us all at once.
What can project managers do to maintain their focus and improve their productivity?
There are lots of strategies we, as project managers, can use to effectively improve our attention and focus.
Here are some key considerations to help you stay sharp and maintain peak productivity during your work days:
Manage Your Time
Block “focused time” on your calendar:
Leverage your calendar by setting aside dedicated time for no meetings. Use this time for planning, completing items on your to-do list, responding to emails, and thinking about your next steps. Consider scheduling these well in advance to make sure that time is protected.
Develop a weekly and daily task list:
Create a list of all required tasks and action items. Prioritize your highest-priority activities first and organize these tasks into what needs to be completed today, and what needs to be done within the week ahead. This helps you focus on the most critical tasks and minimizes distractions from lower-priority items.
Plan your next day:
Start each morning with laser focus by taking the time to plan your day at the end of the previous workday or the night before. Prioritize project tasks that need immediate attention and decide in advance on what you will work on first. This might include identifying what emails need to get out this week, what meetings need to be planned, and what should be accomplished by the end of the next day. Start your day with clear objectives and focus.
Get a head start on your day:
Consider starting your day extra early, at least one or two days a week, before the flurry of calls and emails begin. This gives you to a head start on your tasks with minimal distractions.
Monitor your upcoming meetings:
Regularly monitor your calendar to see what project meetings you have coming up and what you need to do in advance to prepare. Determine what team and steering committee meetings, sponsor check-ins, and other stakeholder engagements are scheduled. This allows you to plan ahead, ensuring you are not caught off guard.
Reduce multi-tasking:
Even though multi-tasking feels like a necessity as a project manager, focus on one task at a time to see it through before moving on to the next. This helps improve the quality of your work and reduces the feeling of being spread too thin.
Delegate tasks and action items:
Project managers must learn how to delegate tasks to others on your project team and to the right subject matter experts. Minimize taking on everything yourself, so you can focus on the right tasks that require your time and attention. Review your to-do list and see what can be assigned to your team.
Set clear goals with deadlines:
Define what you need to accomplish and set a target deadline. If it’s a high-priority task, set a short deadline and move your focus and attention to that activity. This helps create a sense of urgency and prioritizes high-priority tasks.
Manage Your Environment
Add white noise in the background:
Consider playing light music or nature sounds in the background if you are in an environment that may be distracting. The hum of a fan in the room is another way to drown out surrounding noise to help you maintain focus.
Eliminate distractions on your phone:
Our phones are a significant source of distraction. Set your phone to “focused time” or “do not disturb” mode to mute text messages, phone calls, email alerts, and other notifications from distracting you during dedicated work periods. Consider monitoring your phone usage to see how frequently you find yourself being distracted.
Minimize your time on social media:
Limit your use of social media, especially when you have important tasks ahead. This is one of the greatest time and energy wasters and a frequent reason why we often lose focus.
Create a dedicated workspace:
Make sure your workspace is conducive to being productive and focused. Keep it clutter-free, and organized. Consider having appropriate ergonomic equipment like an adjustable monitor, a comfortable chair, and gel wrist rests for comfort. Hang a white board close by for tracking your to-do list.
Motivate yourself with your favorite quote:
Place a motivational quote that keeps you energized in a visible spot. Use this to inspire and remind yourself to stay focused.
Keep important information visible:
Stay focused and on task by using a whiteboard or post-it notes to keep your daily and weekly high-priority items and tasks in sight. This can also include a printout of your project’s work plan and schedule. This allows you to see at-a-glance what work should be focused on next.
Make sure you have good lighting:
Lighting in your work space can help or hinder your attention and focus. Natural lighting is best, but adjustable desk lamps can also help. Adequate lighting helps reduce eye strain and keeps you alert.
Consider the temperature of your work space:
When we feel too hot or cold, it becomes challenging to maintain our concentration. Keep your workspace at a preferred temperature, but if this is out of your control, keep a sweater or a small fan close by to help keep you comfortable and focused.
Manage Your Available Tools and Resources
Develop a solid project work plan:
One of your best available tools to keep you focused is your project work plan. Use this to define and keep track of key project tasks and deadlines. Regularly review this important documentation to stay on top of what’s coming up next.
Set a timer for dedicated focused time:
Set a timer for 20-minute intervals and focus on one task fully until the timer goes off. Then take a short break. Use a timer app on your phone to alert you when the time comes to an end. The Pomodoro technique uses a similar approach where a kitchen timer is set for 25 minutes of focused time, followed by a 5-minute short break. Try this interval approach with the amount of time that makes sense to you.
Write down new tasks when they enter your mind:
Jot down tasks as they come to you to allow your mind to move on without the fear of forgetting, and refocus on the task at hand. Carry a notebook or keep a stack of post-it notes in your office space or on your nightstand to capture these freshly identified ideas and activities.
Download an app that will help you focus:
There are apps that can help you stay focused by blocking distractions. Some options like RescueTime, Focus, Freedom, and Taskade can be beneficial.
Manage Your Personal Health
Get enough sleep at night:
Stay alert and maintain your focus by getting a good night’s sleep. Go to a bed at a time that allows you to get a full night’s rest to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day and tasks ahead of you.
Build in physical exercise into your routine:
Regular exercise increases energy levels and builds stamina, which can enhance focus for longer periods of time. Find enjoyable ways to build physical exercise into your routine. Even short walks over your lunch hour or mid-day breaks can be beneficial. Find ways to keep your body moving.
Eat well and carry healthy snacks with you:
Eat regular, balanced meals and have healthy snacks on hand. It’s hard to concentrate and focus when you’re hungry. Don’t skip meals just because you might be really busy. Healthy snacks keep your energy up and a handful of nuts, slices of apple, or an orange can provide a great boost during the day.
Stay hydrated:
As project managers, we love our coffee. But, balance your coffee intake with water to avoid dehydration. Drink water and tea throughout the day to stay hydrated and keep your mind sharp and focused.
Take short mental breaks:
If you find yourself losing focus and attention, take a short break. Get up and stretch, go for a walk, or change your scenery. These short mental breaks will help you recharge and regain focus.
Improving your focus requires you to take a proactive approach in managing your time, environment, tools, and personal health.
We strongly recommend you try implementing these tips and strategies to sharpen your focus, get more done, and keep yourself from completely burning out. These are all tips we’ve personally tried, and now we’re sharing them with you.
As the common expression goes, the key to success is not working harder, but working smarter. We know you’ve got this!
Who is Project Management Life (PML)?
Project Management Life (PML) is a team of passionate volunteer project managers who believe in the power of this incredible profession and provide our knowledge, guidance, and support to our colleagues.
We know that project managers are often the unsung heroes that drive innovation and progress, and bring calm to what might otherwise be chaos. We are the leaders behind the scenes that work tirelessly, and deserve to be celebrated for our incredible efforts in making the world a better place.
We founded PML on the idea that we can inspire each other with stories of success and valuable lessons learned, empower each other with career advice and resources to thrive both personally and professionally, and support each other to achieve a fulfilling work-life balance by focusing on our health and well-being.
By living our best life, we bring our best selves to our projects, our teams, and the world.
We truly believe that project managers change the world.
Join the PML Tribe Community
The PML Tribe Community is a growing online community of project managers supporting our fellow project managers. Whether you’re a new or experienced project manager, this is a place where we can connect, learn, celebrate, and support one another.
Membership is free, and you get access to a weekly, members-only newsletter that is jam-packed with exclusive and curated content about project management, career growth and personal branding, health and well-being, personal self-improvement, professional development, work-life balance, and more. We are also launching an invite-only community forum, an exclusive clothing brand just for us called PML Tribal Gear, various PML podcasts, health and wellness classes, and so much more.
Join us today, and don’t miss out!
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Disclosure: This article may provide links to products or services that PML feels would be beneficial to our fellow project management colleagues and friends. In some cases, PML may be compensated for purchases made, at no cost to you. This is used to support the growth of the PML Tribe community and website, and we promise to continue to provide valuable content as we grow.
