8 Ways to Zoom In to Get Your Most Important Work Done

When you have too much going on, how do you get your most important tasks done?

If background noise and distractions are drowning out your work, you need to narrow your focus.

You need to zoom in on your work so that you can get your critical todos done.

Sometimes You Need to Zoom In

When you have too much going on, it can be hard to get anything done.

There are too many distractions. Too many interruptions. Simply too many simultaneous tasks.

Trying to work on everything at once doesn’t work. (You’ll end up with 57 things started and nothing done…)

When you find yourself in this situation what do you do?

A great tactic to use is to zoom in on your most important work.

“When the big picture is overwhelming, you need to zoom in to get more done.”

Focus on your critical tasks. Tune out the noise. Finish things to done.

Zoom in.

Zoom In on Your Most Important Work

To get your most important work done, eliminate the distractions from your field of view.

Get closer to the most important tasks on your list.

Here are 8 Ways to Zoom In to Get Your Important Work Done:

1. Zoom in on the Task at Hand – Eliminate the distractions. Clear your desk, or your computer desktop, so that only the work at hand is present. This removes non-essential clutter and will give you space to work.
2. Shut Out the Noise – If you are constantly being interrupted by others or background noise, put on your headphones or close the door if you must. Set expectations that you will re-engage when your work is done.
3. Pare Down Your Todo List – If your todo list is a mile long, pare it down to the top 1–3 things that you will complete. Make this your today list.
4. Unplug – Don’t let your technology be a leash that keeps you from getting your work done. Turn off the dings, notifications, and email until your work is done.
5. Focus on Your Work – Turn on your “focus mode” so that you can only see the work at hand. (Many apps have a mode like this, or you can simply make it full screen.)
6. Stop Multi-tasking – Multi-tasking is a recipe for starting many things… not finishing them. Resist the urge to start other tasks until after you complete your most important tasks.
7. Isolate – Go to where you work best. If you need to retreat to your “fortress of solitude” to prevent interruptions then do so. (See #2) Don’t underestimate the power of where you work.
8. Finish to Done – When you finally get to your most important work, make sure you don’t stop short of the finish line. Complete tasks to done so that you can cross them off and move on.

Get a Closer View of Your Work

Sometimes you need to get a little closer to your work.

The big picture can be too much of distraction. It can be noisy and full of interruptions.

When something absolutely must get done… make sure you zoom in and eliminate everything else from your view. Then you can focus and stay on task.

Question: What work do you need to zoom in on today?