If there’s one thing we could all probably use a lot more of, it’s the ability to focus. But telling yourself to stay focused on a task, especially a mundane one, is often a lot easier said than done.

The good news? There are several techniques that can help you zone in on the task in front of you. If you need help staying focused, try one — or all  — of these tips.

Here are 6 things I learnt about how to focus:

 1) Get clear on what you want & write it down
 2) Don't use phones / machines
 3) Read
 4) Time management
 5) Exercise
 6) Sleep

Focus is so important because it is the gateway to all thinking: perception, memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving, and decision making. Without good focus , all aspects of your ability to think will suffer... Here's a simple reality: "If you can't focus effectively, you can't think effectively."