Entrepreneurial “Squirrel Brain” – 3 Tips To Maintain Focus!

ByWes F.
This entrepreneur can't maintain focus. A humorous illustration of a frenzied entrepreneur in a polo shirt juggling various tasks like phone calls, emails, and papers flying around, with cartoon squirrels adding to the chaos, representing 'squirrel brain' moments. Despite the overwhelming scene, the atmosphere is light-hearted and funny, highlighting the challenges of staying focused as an entrepreneur. The article offers tips to stay focused.

Ever had one of those mornings where your mind jumps from task to task like a squirrel on caffeine? My wife, an entrepreneur herself, one time joked about having a “squirrel brain” moment. Her thoughts were darting from project to project, leaving her feeling a bit anxious and unproductive. She couldn’t maintain focus. I totally get it—I’ve been there too. We’ve come to call these moments ‘squirrel brain.’

I bet you know exactly what we’re talking about. In the hustle and bustle of entrepreneurship, staying focused can be tough. Through self-education and tweaking systems that fit my work style, I’ve found ways to combat this. Most days, I can honestly say I’m finding my focus and attacking my priorities in the order I’ve planned.  So does my wife!

Here are 3 tips to stay focused that work for me. I hope they help you too.

1. Always Plan and Prioritize the Night Before

Before bed, take a few minutes to update and prioritize your task list for the next day. Do this with an ‘honest heart’. I prefer a digital system, and I use Trello to keep my projects and tasks obsessively organized.

Why prioritize with an ‘honest heart’?

I love working on interesting things, but as an entrepreneur, success often means tackling the less fun tasks consistently. By updating and prioritizing your task list the night before, you’ll hit the ground running in the morning, saving time and reducing anxiety.

Here’s my prioritization method:

  1. Revenue Generating Activities: Start your day with tasks that drive revenue. These are crucial for any entrepreneur.
    • Examples: marketing, ad review, networking, lead generation, SEO management, and proposal writing.
  2. Urgent & Important: From the Eisenhower Matrix, prioritize urgent and important tasks next.
    • Examples: major customer complaints, HR and legal issues, employee matters, and cash flow concerns.
  3. Not Urgent but Important: These tasks contribute to the long-term success of your business.
    • Examples: strategic planning, systemizing processes, learning new skills, creating scripts and training, and market analysis.

2. Deep Work When It’s Quiet

I’m an early bird. I love the quiet of the morning. While I don’t rigidly follow routines like “The 5 AM Club,” early mornings are my best time for deep work because there are fewer distractions.

I start my day with a 1 to 1.5-hour deep work session on tasks prioritized the night before. Use these quiet hours to tackle revenue-generating activities first. Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and immerse yourself in your work. This period of deep work can lead to significant progress and help you maintain focus throughout the day.

Tips for Deep Work:

  • Be Stingy: Protect your morning deep work sessions. Don’t let anything interfere.
  • Use Focus Tools: Try a Pomodoro timer or similar tools to stay focused.
  • Not Too Quiet: I prefer some background music to set the tone for my work.

3. Pushups and Squats for Mental Resets

Sometimes, the best way to maintain focus is a quick exercise break. I’m serious—ask my wife! Quick physical exercises like pushups and squats provide a fantastic mental reset. When I start to feel ‘squirrel-brained,’ I do 20 pushups and 10 squats. It’s a mental reset that helps me regain focus.

Tips for Exercise Resets:

  • Choose an Exercise You Love: It doesn’t have to be pushups and squats. Find something you enjoy that you can do by your workspace.
  • Monitor Your Anxiety: After a quick exercise break, check in with yourself to ensure your anxiety and focus is at a manageable level.
  • Track Your Resets: Keep track of your exercise breaks. You’ll be amazed at how they add up and help you stay focused.

Staying focused as an entrepreneur can be tough. Sometimes, it can even feel overwhelming. But by prioritizing tasks the night before, engaging in deep work during quiet times, and using exercise breaks to reset your focus, you can make significant progress.

If these tips don’t fit you, that’s okay. But I encourage you to find a system that works for you—it’s worth the effort!

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