I feel like I’ve always struggled with attention to detail. I chalked it up to not being able to see well and needing to prove myself ten times more than a regular human being. In this chapter I’ve decided to find ways to improve this. I do want to be better to everyone around me, so here goes.
What does it mean to be detail oriented?
The textbook definition of detail oriented is baked right into the phrase itself: It’s someone who pays attention to the details. But that’s a pretty vague definition.
When employers say they’re looking for a detail-oriented person, it can mean a wide variety of things. They want someone who…
- Pays attention to the little things
- Is thorough with their work
- Puts effort into presentation and aesthetic
- Follows through with their duties
- Doesn’t require micro-management
- Checks their own work
- Is organized and prepared
- Has a good memory
I used to think I was good at these things.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to work quickly while also paying close attention to details.
Learning to take your time may be the hardest task to master on this list, but it’s also the most important. If you find yourself missing details, the best thing you can do is train yourself to slow down.
You may be a talented multi-tasker (more on that later), and your ability to get things done at a breakneck pace can be a useful skill. But rushing through things is the number-one way to miss important details.
To overcome your tendency to rush, a bit of mindfulness can work wonders.
Train yourself to recognize the moments when you’re rushing, and give yourself mental reminders to slow down. Try using a timer the next time you’re working on something that requires attention to detail. (The one on your phone will work just fine.)
Set an alarm to go off every 5 or 10 minutes. When that happens, take a break, step back from your work, maybe stretch or go for a walk.
When you return to the computer, put yourself into “details” mode. Instead of pushing forward with the project, take a few minutes to review the work you’ve just completed.
If a certain set of tasks requires attention to detail, then you will need to build more time into your schedule to accomplish that task, no matter what it is. Being able to measure your time and anticipate when you will likely be done will make life much easier.
This applies to both your personal and professional life.
For example, let’s say you’re moving out of your apartment, and you need to clean it top-to-bottom in order to get back your security deposit. If you leave cleaning to the last minute, you might be able to do the big stuff like sweeping and cleaning the toilet. But you still could lose some of your deposit if you forget to take out the trash or dust the ceiling fans.
At work, setting appropriate deadlines may mean you need to be firm with your managers and colleagues. If someone is expecting you to pay close attention to details, but they set an unrealistic deadline, it’s important to politely explain why you either need more time, or won’t be able to do as much of the detail work.
For example, you might say, “I’m happy to meet that deadline, but I won’t be able to do the usual amount of research. If you give me another day to get it done, I can go deeper with my research before I turn it in.”
Either way, you’ve either managed expectations or given yourself extra time so you don’t have to rush.
Being able to juggle multiple tasks at once is something many people take pride in.
But the truth is, multitasking can actually mess with your ability to concentrate on the finer points. Your phone buzzing with group messages or the allure of endlessly scrolling through social media platforms can yank you out of a focused state.
Look, the notion of putting your phone on the other side of the room while working is out of the question for a lot of people, especially those who use it as an essential work tool.
But what you can do is manage your digital environment by shutting down apps that aren’t crucial or using website blockers until you’ve completed a specific task.
It’s not just work; tech distractions mess with your social game too.
Research from 2013 indicated that merely having a phone within sight—whether it’s turned off or face down—can diminish the quality of interpersonal interactions.
This shouldn’t be all that surprising. Remember the last time you were mid-convo with a pal and they glanced at their phone? You can feel their shift in attention, and it doesn’t feel good.
There’s an app for that—or rather, apps designed to keep you zoned in. I’m partial to Forest, an app that lets you grow a digital tree as long as you don’t navigate away to some other app that’ll divert your focus.
But digital noise isn’t the only thing that can ruin your attention.
Recognizing other distractions is step one to mitigating them. When you catch yourself losing focus, take a moment to identify the culprit and strategize a way to sidestep it.
This could be as straightforward as seeking out a quiet space, tuning into ambient music, or putting a “do-not-disturb” sign on your door when you need to get something done.
And don’t overlook your physical space.
A messy work area, uncomfortable chair, or even bad lighting can all ruin your focus. If you’re finding it hard to pay attention to detail, try changing your environment to something peaceful and comfortable.
rt of being detail oriented is knowing how to gather all of the information you need. In other words, you need to be ready to ask the right questions at the right time.
Let’s use a work example. Your manager has tasked you with posting to Instagram on the company’s behalf. You ask some questions, perhaps about what photos you should use or how many posts to make.
After you make the posts, you show your manager. She takes one look and says you have to repost them all, because you didn’t use the right hashtags.
In this scenario, some of the blame falls on your manager for not briefing you properly. But if you had asked more detailed questions at the start, you would have impressed your manager by being so detail oriented that you knew what questions to ask.
Sometimes, you need a bit of experience to know what questions to ask in different scenarios, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t ask every question when you’re trying something new.
Instead, after you’ve finished a project or task, take a few minutes to reflect on the job. What questions do you wish you had asked at the start? Make note of these, and you’ll be able to ask more of the right types of
I don’t know why I think asking questions is weakness.
To truly be considered detail oriented, you need to be able to anticipate other people’s expectations and wants. This isn’t easy, because most of us aren’t mind readers.
But taking time to sit down and put yourself in someone else’s shoes can help you get better at thinking of details you may otherwise miss.
Let’s take an example: Your friend is getting married, and they’ve asked you to help plan the menu. This task requires a lot of attention to detail, and you can’t base it solely on what you want; you have to take into consideration what the newlyweds and their guests would want.
So, you sit down with your pen and paper and start putting yourself in their shoes. Start asking yourself questions like:
- What do people usually expect to eat at a wedding?
- What time will other events be happening? What about people who have dietary restrictions?
- What foods would be exciting to the marrying couple?
- Will there be children at the wedding? What would they want to eat?
- Will people want coffee with dessert?
The more time you spend asking questions like these, the more details you’ll think of in advance. People will be impressed with your attention to detail, because you thought of so many possible scenarios.
I need to think of all the angles.