I just read an article called
Tips from neuroscience to keep you focused on hard tasks by David Badre that I think has some good suggestions - some things I've said before myself, and some things that I hadn't thought of before. I'm just going to put the summary here with some of my own thoughts or popular phrases, but I recommend reading the entire article on
nature.com for all the details.
- Make space
- Set aside large blocks of time. (Rome wasn't built in a day.)
- Be consistent. (Practice makes perfect.)
- Minimize distraction and never multitask
- Remove cues to other tasks. (It's easy to get side-tracked.)
- Beware the allure of easy tasks. (Getting the little things done might feel good, but the big task is still out there.)
- Engage in good problem-solving habits
- Stay with it. (Don't give up.)
- Be open to reconceptualizing problem structure. (Approach from a different angle.)
- Take breaks. (All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.)
- Interact with others. (Two heads are better than one.)
