How to Test Your Focus

I heard the most ridiculous word the other day. In fact, it was more than ridiculous—it was dirty.

Maybe you’ve heard it, too. The word is “foci.” Foci is the plural of “focus.” Yeah, you heard right. The plural. Of focus. Did you get a chuckle out of that, too?

This oxymoronic overture is a bit of a head scratcher. Don’t get me wrong—you can certainly perform multiple tasks throughout your day that all have the same focus. However, as a speaker on productivity, I caution that having several items to simultaneously focus on are detrimental to time management and achieving your result. So very often, we struggle not necessarily with time management but focus management.

I’ve developed a quick method for how to test your focus. So, clear your heads and read the question below. Here it is:

What is your focus today?

Now that you’ve read the question, what immediately comes to mind? If one clear, solid task instantly revealed itself, good for you—you’ve passed the test. You know what your focus is.

If multiple ideas and priorities entered the picture—or if you drew a blank—you did not pass.

The good news is that you can take this focus test as many times as you want. In time, you’ll train your brain to assign itself a point of focus for every situation.

Let’s turn foci into focus.