Focus Your Focus
In this age
of weapons of mass distraction how do you effectively move your lofty goals
forward, while transforming your to-do lists to “success lists?”
In my decade
of working as an actor and entrepreneur, I have discovered the best way to do
the work that matters is first decide
what matters least.
And I’m not the
only one…
In his New
York Times bestseller, The One Thing Gary
Keller stresses the importance of beginning each day by asking once crucial
question,
“What’s the
one thing I can do today that by doing it everything else will be easier or
unnecessary?”
In other
words…
Until the
most pressing action for moving a project forward is completed everything else
should be labeled a distraction.
One of the best
ways to do the work that matters most is to first figure out what matters
least.
Two Steps for
Finding What Matters Most
1. Focus On One
Focus at a Time
Be brutally
honest about what is “important” versus “urgent.” Crossing off a task on our
to-do list gives us a very addictive drip of dopamine that leads us to rarely
question the utility of what we’re doing.
For example:
My primary
objective right now is to build a mailing list so I can add value and share my
message to a broader audience.
A few weeks
back I managed to convince myself my travel blog, a platform that generates
zero revenue, suddenly was in need of a makeover.
I invested
time and resources into what is essentially a hobby, when my personal website
still lacked a functional email opt-in and tech setup.
How did I
allow myself to veer so far off course? I was afraid to enter the lion’s den of
priority and as result clung to work I knew would keep me busy.
Chances are, you’re
doing this too.
Eventually,
I tabled the blog to my “someday list.” This didn’t mean revamping my travel
blog was a no. Instead, it helped me to re-prioritize and make the task a NOT
RIGHT NOW.
This
allowed me to allocate my time to what mattered most.
What do you need to move to your
“someday list” so you can focus on your most important task at hand?
2. Build a “Great
Wall of Productivity.”
Think of
your most important project as the LAND your wall is protecting and time as the
RESOURCES (like food and water) you need to defend for your people. The
longevity and sustainability of both depend on the strength of your wall and
battalion.
In the
beginning, my wall was poorly manned, easy to scale, and breached from top to
bottom.
No matter how
hard I tried invaders like email, text messages, and other people’s priorities
sacked and pillaged my kingdom each day. I needed a better fortification
system.
- I raised my walls by blocking
off non-negotiable time blocks.
- I filled the cracks by putting
my phone on airplane mode.
- And I improved the armor of my soldiers by letting
others know I couldn’t be bothered until my top priority was done.
Why?
It’s easier
to avoid distractions than resist them.
What are the forces clashing up
against your wall of productivity?
Keep a
piece of paper handy so you can jot down everything that distracts you during
the workweek. Then on Friday, review the list and ask yourself, “How can I
remove, decrease, or delegate these distractions to a better time if at all?
Keep it Nice and
Simple
Getting
work done that really matters consists of simply doing the right thing the
right way over a sustained period of time. And the best way for you to gain
clarity on those steps is to first create an environment where it’s hard to
fail.
Strip away
the distractions, heighten your focus, and get to work.
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