Modernity and fast-paced life pose a great challenge for us: to stay focused. We live in such dizzying ways that we go from one topic to another, from one pending to the next, from one task to another, and get distracted. It is very common to realize that we do not achieve our goals not because of a lack of resources, intelligence, or energy, but because we have lost our way and lost focus.

Gian Francesco Poggio de Brancollini, a renowned humanist who lived in Italy in the Middle Ages, maintained that true scholars should have a patron who sponsored them for a time to think and carry out their plans. We agree that we would like to have a sponsor, something rare in this day and age, and since they are scarce, what we must find is time to concentrate on what is relevant and helps us achieve our goals.

It is not that difficult; with simple strategies, we can help ourselves and increase resilience, find balance, and prioritize the things we appreciate the most, that is, simple feet so as not to lose attention. The grandmothers were right, much rests on the shoulders of good manners.

There are some proven habits that will help us feel awake, alive, and well-focused and are easy to put into practice. These strategies are some of my favorites, although they are not meant to be magical formulations nor can they assure us that we will always be lively and performing at our best twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, in the first instance because that, frankly, is not realistic. However, they can help increase our ability to stay mindful, find balance, and prioritize the really important things that we want to achieve.

  1. Pay attention to your health.
    Aristotle was right: a healthy mind in a healthy body. We have to move. I've found the medical advice on exercising to be true. We tend to feel better, not only physically but also emotionally. It is curious but those of us who exercise see an improvement in performance in tests of working memory and other cognitive functions. But the real benefits come from consistent exercise over time: those who do it have a lower risk of developing depression and dementia. So, physical health is a priority.

  2. Cope with anxiety.
    Imposter syndrome is our worst enemy. We have to fight and control those tendencies to worry about everything instead of worrying about what we should do. Confronting the things that cause us anxiety directly can help break a pattern of fear and subtraction. It is very helpful to think about the personal traits we admire about ourselves and do something meaningful to embody them. We must put catastrophism aside and forget about ruminating on problems. It is very useful to write down what worries us and put a possible solution next to it.

  3. Defy the state of affairs.
    It is true that we must flow with the situations., However, once we have made a true analysis and proven that it does not work, it’s not efficient, or it’s not generating results, it is time to change. Change generates fear, it creates uncertainty. However, failing at the moment when something should be modified brings greater risks, opportunities are lost and the chances of success are reduced.

  4. Conduct a friction audit.
    Identify the things that create obstacles and add complications or stress to the day-to-day to find the right way to eliminate them. To begin with, we can ask ourselves if we are repeating certain patterns that do not help us achieve our objectives or if there are things we are doing regularly that we do not like or take us away from our objectives and goals.

  5. Keep your eyes on the goal.
    It is very easy to get distracted by everyday life. It is easier to list the reasons why we do not achieve the desired results. My father often says that if we put the same effort into reaching the goal as we did into making excuses, we would achieve much more.

  6. Set limits.
    Determining the boundaries between what we want and what we can do is a very efficient way to be focused. We can start with small actions such as schedules and stay true to them. If we are working, we should not be distracted by thinking about social commitments. If we are exercising, we must concentrate on giving the best performance. If we are having family time, we have to stay away from work issues.

  7. Form a team.
    Being alone and isolated can harm our work performance and also our mental health. In fact, there is a growing body of research showing a link between loneliness and serious mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's, but it also triggers stress and anxiety.

  8. Carefully review your goals and purposes.
    It is necessary to realize whether or not they are feasible and beyond that, if they are in correspondence with our values, and principles, and if, when we achieve them, we will be in a state of fullness or not. My definition of success is not – and does not have to be – the same as those of other people. Sometimes, we adopt other people's goals and objectives that, if we look closely, do not make us feel happy or fulfilled.

  9. Clarify and communicate.
    When our objectives and goals are clear and we are efficient in sharing them with others, our work team will help us achieve them. When clarifying and communicating them, we must be congruent, so that our actions and our words accompany us on the path to achieve what we desire.

  10. Learn from feedback.
    The market and our environment speak to us, but we have to know how to listen. If we pay attention to our bosses, subordinates, customers, and any related party, we will be able to stay focused.

Staying focused helps us be recognized for our merits, for what we deliver, give, produce, and serve. By being focused, we silence the noise that prevents us from paying attention to what is relevant and valued to us.