How to Be More Attentive & Persistent at Work

Sit as close as possible to the speaker in meetings to maintain attention.

Your work productivity depends almost completely on your ability to maintain your attention and persistence throughout the day. Distractions, self-control problems and ambiguous work goals all lead to reduced attention during your time at work. Although you might not increase your persistence and attention span 100 percent in one day, taking steps now helps to build these attributes over time.

Instructions

1. Sit at the front in meetings, and find a spot to work in the office in which you are not hidden. Your attention at work might drift if you have the opportunity to daydream or slip into the background. If you sit at the front of meetings, for example, your focus is drawn to the person speaking. Additionally, it is more difficult to fall asleep when your boss speaks two feet in front of you. Sitting in the dark, unreachable corners of the office also encourages you to lose attention and persistence. Ask to work at a desk around more coworkers, if possible.

2. Ask questions during meetings and throughout the workday if you do not understand tasks or assignments. If you attend a meeting and are unsure of the work expected of you, you might tune out the rest of the conversation. Raise your hand and ask for clarification.

3. Avoid distractions in the workplace that might affect your tenacity and attention. The Internet is an efficient tool for sending correspondence and for wasting time. If you cannot control your game playing on the Internet, or are easily distracted by cute pictures of animals, place an Internet block on your browser. If you need email for work, set your email provider as the only allowable site on your browser.

4. Reward yourself with breaks after long periods of work. You cannot expect to work nonstop for six, eight or 10 hours. Instead, work for two hours and take a 15-minute break. Dividing your work into chunks breaks up the day and prevents your attention and motivation from wandering.

5. Set goals for the workday. If you do not have clear goals to achieve by the end of the workday, you might lose focus and procrastinate. Create a clear and attainable goal when you arrive for work. For example, if you have 10 clients who need their taxes done, create a goal of three clients per day.

References

• "Additude"; Stretch Your Attention Span: ADHD at Work; Paricia Quinn
• "BusinessWeek"; The Art Of Motivation; 2006