How to stay focused and master your workday

You can work hard throughout your workday and you can be successful, but in a long run, are you satisfied with your achievement and how much do you love what you do? And when it comes to your job and your life -the answer is never easy, much less how to achieve the goals set for the day or life. So let’s start by setting goals and re-examining them. Have you set your goals for achieving your professional success or do you have goals for the workweek and the working day? Does your workday consist only of working tasks or do you manage to balance your personal life and how much do you manage to find time for an activity that motivates you to achieve your goals more effectively?

At the end of the day, we are all different in things that fulfill us, but the more our professional responsibilities require similar abilities, the more we begin to resemble each other as our daily activities begin.

Here is how our masters manage to cope with the daily challenges that their professions require:

Viktor Ristovski
Senior Microsoft Dynamics AX Developer

Starting each day with small non-negotiable habits organized into a morning routine. For me those are first of all never-snoozing wake-up time, then I proceed with fruits plus light breakfast. Afterwards I read small daily fragments from a book (could be just couple of pages of any book), drink coffee, reflect myself upon the actions from the previous day (what I did best, what I could have done better, what I should improve on) and then plan the activities for the current day and setting daily goals. My bodybuilding training follows and I could account it in my daily routine but the daily routine should be simple and not-confusing set of activities just to kick-start the mind, body and soul. After all these activities I am ready for my work day or just any day. Those activities help me to build up my discipline level and as a byproduct of it my confidence as well. After I finish my morning routines I have already whole set of wins under my belt so I can thrive through my day no matter of what would be thrown at me, good or bad.

I recommend to other colleagues and professionals in the IT field, to build their better version of themselves through habitual construction on the daily, do what is best on long run, train their mind, body and soul. Always choose what your conscience is telling you instead of living in constant regret of failures to do something. Read, comprehend and apply, to know and not to do is not to know.

We will always encounter good or bad in our lives and in our work as it is part of it, and there will be always things that we do not know, just start with imperfect action that will lead you eventually to success. Do not dread over specific work tasks, just start them, plan them with reasoning and objectiveness, leave the negative emotions at a side.
Always do all the daily tasks the best you can and never partially because the way you do anything is the way you do everything.

Filip Gjorgjevski
Microsoft Dynamics AX Functional Consultant

Consistency, discipline, and responsibility are the three key qualities that help me successfully deal with daily and weekly work activities, of course, consistency in them, in the long run, gives me significant results, professionally and personally.

What helps me focus and create discipline is running, the activity I enjoy doing several times a week for the last 5 years. Running as an activity exercised regularly helps me maintain my psycho-physical condition, which is the basis, on which I can upgrade and improve all daily activities that help me work and accomplish various tasks, especially when it comes to a position that requires intense communication daily.  Running is my meditation and therapy, at the same time a motive to achieve things that I previously thought to be unachievable – I successfully finished a few half-marathons and am now preparing to run a marathon; of course, the fruits of it come daily on a professional and personal level.

I recommend everyone to find a suitable, healthy physical activity that would help maintain the body and spirit and at the same time, help grow on a professional basis because everything we do is connected.

Frosina Dishlijovska
Microsoft Dynamics AX Functional Consultant

There is nothing special needed to start running – only a pair of shoes and an hour of your time, more or less. Besides good health, circulation, slim figure, strong legs, and core, it helps build discipline and mental toughness. To be honest, 10 years ago I hated running. I was puzzled how someone can run 20 km without stopping but as you build your ability to run bigger distances without stopping, at the same time you build your focus and concentration to endure the everyday tasks and problems in your professional and private life. Now, after 10 half-marathons, one trail running race, and five 10km races, I can only question why I did not start running earlier.

I start my day early in the morning around 5 AM in the summer days which are dedicated to a weekly combination of morning runs and trail runs on Vodno. In the winter, trail runs are set for the weekends while the everyday runs are scheduled for after work hours. This is a job that intensifies the “eye for detail” and concentration as the main abilities before everything else to be more productive, thus, being active through the week helps me a lot in the search of focus and inner peace at work.

Trail running is something I started doing last year with all the Covid-19 situation, to add a variety to the everyday runs and I found it a lot interesting. You are left on your own in the mountains – Heights, hills, downhills, gravel, dirt, sunrises, views, lakes… It has everything. I recommend to the other colleagues in the IT field to be more active and to start running. There is a knowledge-sharing culture, you can join for free one of the many running groups and more and more cities are starting to organize their signature race or trail running race on the hills nearby – Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep, Kavadarci, Vinica, etc.

Elena Rtoska
Microsoft Dynamics AX Developer

Trail running(or hiking) helps me to think deeper, from every point of view.
It also helps me to find my optimal work-life balance and relaxes me.

When my morning starts with coffee and trail running, I know I will finish tasks faster and more focused. When I train in the morning I turn off the brain, and after that, it is much easier to focus on different problems – to dedicate myself to work responsibilities. With training, anger is actually removed from you, and you are calmer after that…you reconcile that the obligations should be completed, so you try to do it.

I recommend everyone to have some physical activity. Because in order to have proper development, you need to include both physical and mental activity. Do what you love the most, eat healthily, your focus will improve with such activities.

Vladimir Nikolovski
Microsoft Dynamics AX Functional Consultant

I am a person who is driven by the process of accomplishing challenges. As that being said, I am constantly trying to find some challenges which would help me to organize, create an action plan, act and finally complete them during the day.

When it comes to accomplishing even the smallest task – I do not accept less than impeccability, which in this IT world is not an eccentric statement. This requires a lot of energy and it is crucial to have something that “charges the batteries”. So, my other love is music – the world where you can be creative and free, but you also must be committed and flawless to capture the desired effect. Music creates energy that delivers energy – it helps me recharge my batteries and move on in the IT world where energy, routine and commitment are key elements to long-term success.

My recommendation for everyone would be to find what makes you happy and healthy in your private life and practice that as much as possible. It will boost your confidence and inspire you to give 100% during your daily tasks at work.

Spaso Trendov
Microsoft Dynamics AX Developer

I am not a routine type of person and do not have a constant activity that helps me to stay focus during a working day, except one –  making the bed. Sounds funny, but making the bed each morning gives you the satisfaction of completing a task and the confidence that you can complete all your tasks for the day. And of course, it goes without saying – coffee.

Photography keeps me relaxed, pushing my creativeness, trying to see and catch a moment where no one else sees it. Sports, football, basketball, keeps me physically active and giving me the boost, and will to push limits, always trying to be victorious which gives a dose of self-confidence.

A recommendation: Start with some sport. It builds up your confidence, makes you push limits, reaches goals, and in failure teaches you. And most important, be organized. Maybe the most important characteristic. Organize your time, and organize your place. Even chaos is organized!

In a world filled with instant access to information, coworkers, and friends, finishing a solid eight hours of work seems very difficult. Avoiding distractions, however, is not mission impossible, so to make the most of the working day make a Daily “To-Do” List, choose a great Chair & Table combo, stay away from Social Media and drink enough water!
Most importantly – find something that balances your workday with life goals that require energy and commitment. Over time, the results will be a transformation in any field where you focus your enthusiasm.

So, if you want to be part of our world – check out our careerspage and join us!