{"id":6,"date":"2013-08-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/empowermit\/focus\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T11:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T11:55:59","slug":"focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/empowermit\/focus\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYour Balls are so shiny!\u201d 11 ways to Focus NOW"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cOne reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular. \u201d -Tony Robbins<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This morning I woke up, brewed up some lattes, caught a glorious sunrise and proceeded to get more done before breakfast than I had in the past 4 working days combined.<\/p>\n
How about you? How many important things did you get done last week? I mean the things that actually got you closer to your biggest goals<\/em> and dreams<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Take a minute to think about it and write a couple down. How many did you come up with?<\/p>\n
For many the answer is few if any at all. Why?<\/p>\n
In a word: Distraction. <\/strong>( Or shiny ball syndrome.)<\/em><\/p>\n
Lack of focus is the most common killer of making things happen.<\/h3>\n
In the last 10+ years there\u2019s been an\u00a0unconscious\u00a0shift from encouraging focus to\u00a0condemning\u00a0it. It\u2019s happening without us knowing and we\u2019re all likely victims. As soon as multitasking became possible and encouraged, our focus died.<\/p>\n
Mine certainly did.<\/p>\n
We have to fight our very best fight to get it back.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Leo Babauta is leading the charge with his latest book\u00a0Focus,\u00a0<\/em>which is more than worth the read. Unbelievably powerful.<\/p>\n
Without focus we are headed for disaster and the consequences are as dangerous as they come.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the biggest risk of losing our focus? Wasting our time and living a meaningless life.<\/p>\n
The solution is to simplify.\u00a0<\/strong>Get back to the basics of doing the important.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a brief 11-step guide to reclaiming\u00a0insane<\/em>\u00a0Focus and leaving shiny balls alone.<\/h2>\n
1. Know what actually matters.<\/strong>\u00a0Be honest with yourself about the actions that truly move the needle in your business and your life. An\u00a080\/20 analysis\u00a0is a great place to start. If you\u2019re stuck, just think of the tasks you fear the most\u2013that give you anxiety just to think about. Those are likely the most important.<\/p>\n
2. Pick your top 2-3 core tasks each day.<\/strong>\u00a0These are the things that must happen no matter what. If you get these done your day is a success. Stick to no more than three, or better yet one. They must move you closer to your big goals. Checking email does not count.<\/p>\n
3. Do them first thing.\u00a0<\/strong>For me writing is one of my core actions, so I write for an hour or so as soon as I roll out of bed or after my morning workout (it\u2019s 5:45 am right now). The longer you wait, the more distractions will intrude. Nothing happens before these get done.<\/p>\n
4. Do not connect to anything until your core tasks are done.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t convince yourself you need the internet or email to do your most important tasks. 95% of the time you don\u2019t. Leave the internet off and phone on airplane mode until you crush through the important.<\/p>\n
5. Kill mult<\/strong>itasking.<\/strong>\u00a0Stop thinking it\u2019s more efficient. It\u2019s not. No surfing during phone calls, reading during meals, chatting while writing. Do one thing at a time. Simple. Not only is multitasking terribly inefficient but it stresses you out and it\u2019s rude to\u00a0anyone around you.<\/p>\n
6. Turn off email and\u00a0<\/strong>n<\/strong>otifications (and anything else that interrupts you)<\/strong>. When you sit down to do something, nothing else gets attention. Just because someone decides<\/p>\n
to email, chat or call you, doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s more important. Those things can wait. But if you know they are waiting there, you\u2019ll be too tempted.\u00a0Avoid temptation at all cost. We are too weak.\u00a0<\/strong>I don\u2019t trust myself with email on my iPhone so I totally removed it.<\/p>\n
7. Don\u2019t check email in the morning.<\/strong>\u00a0This is the most effective (and difficult) single practice I\u2019ve found. I know every one of you have heard this one. So why doesn\u2019t anyone actually do it? It will change your life. It feels terrible to know we\u2019ve spent a couple hours refreshing and going in and out of email without really getting anything done.\u00a0I assure you that if you check it, you won\u2019t be able to help yourself, and you\u2019ll stumble face first into the worm hole. So don\u2019t even open it until you have a few hours of focused action under your belt (this is at least 11am for most).<\/p>\n
8. Batch your emailing to two times a day MAX<\/strong>. Maybe 30 min before lunch and 30 min late afternoon. If you need an email for your core task, do not go to your inbox. Go straight to the search feature and find it. If you need to write an email as a core task (which should very rarely be the case), write it offline in a simple program like notepad.\u00a0Save reactionary items for after you get the important done.<\/strong><\/p>\n
9. Try to get less done in a day\u2013practice Slow Working.\u00a0<\/strong>Don\u2019t fill every moment of your calendar with tasks (this is a huge one I\u2019m working on). You\u2019ll be stressed and rushed the whole day. Slow down and move through your core tasks calmly. Then maybe you do a few more things with the remaining time but don\u2019t cram them in. If you do, you\u2019ll always feel behind.<\/p>\n
10. Plan more time for each task.<\/strong>\u00a0This is the easiest way to\u00a0alleviate\u00a0the schedule. And things always tend to take longer than we think. If your core task will take you 45 minutes, then block out 90. Actually schedule it on your calendar. If it only takes you 40 minutes then suddenly you have free time\u2013how freakinawesome (and rare) is that!<\/p>\n
11. Take breaks and reward yourself.<\/strong>\u00a0Most of us can only intensely focus on something for an hour at best. Take at least a few-minute break every 30 or 60 minutes to clear your head. I love going up to my rooftop for a couple deep breaths and a view of the Golden Gate. Find a fun way to get you free and clear.\u00a0Take a walk, meditate, feed the ducks, breathe, get a snack or some water or listen to an inspiring song. You pick.<\/p>\n
Do the above and your day will be a victory before most people wake up.<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s a pretty awesome feeling. You\u2019ll get way more done than you planned but your mind and schedule will also be clear to enjoy life a little more. Few things feel worse than an unproductive day. Nail your big things early and use that energy to take the rest of the day by storm. Take a walk with your wife, play with your kids, go down to the beach and read. Do whatever you want. That\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n
Everett Bogue hits on this in graphic detail in his\u00a0Minimalist Workday. Very practical free guide.<\/p>\n
Enjoy having nothing to do.<\/h3>\n
When was the last time you had nothing to do? Many of us can\u2019t remember. It\u2019s\u00a0because\u00a0we set our days up for failure. With more tasks than we could ever accomplish and loads of wasted time in between. Filling every second of your day will do this. With the above, you\u2019ll suddenly have time to spend in your own way. That\u2019s when your mind really starts to have some fun. The\u00a0big ideas\u00a0will begin to show up.<\/p>\n
We are addicted to wasting time.<\/h3>\n
Realize that mindless work is an addiction. It\u2019s just as dangerous as smoking or alcolhol. I\u2019m not kidding. Email, Facebook, twitter, texting, surfing, news\u2013it\u2019s all a deadly serious addiction. We just think it\u2019s ok because everyone else around us is wasting their life on it. If everyone started smoking tomorrow would you start? That\u2019s what I thought.<\/p>\n
The path to freedom can be difficult to see, mostly\u00a0because\u00a0the world is telling you it\u2019s not there. A path begins by walking. These addictions have caused us to lose our way and most importantly, lose our focus. We avoid the present. We avoid what matters. And we avoid what\u2019s right in front of us. Be it a sunset, your husband or that client call you\u2019ve been putting off.<\/p>\n
With pure focus we can be unstoppable.<\/strong><\/p>\n
You\u2019ll get more done in a day than most get done in a week, with time left over to savor the\u00a0subtleties\u00a0of life you forgot you enjoyed so much.<\/p>\n
When in doubt, ask yourself \u201cAm I wasting my time to avoid the important?\u201d Be honest. You\u2019ll know the answer. Do something about it.<\/p>\n
How do you get focused? What are your biggest distractions? Please share in the comments section below. Even one sentence goes a long way.<\/em><\/p>\n
A Free Bootcamp for Bloggers.<\/h3>\n
A bad ass blogging<\/a> Bootcamp started this week called\u00a0How to Get More Traffic To Your Blog. It was created by my team mate and mentor Mike Hobbs. This has helped me grow this blog by 1500% in 6 months.<\/p>\n
The course contains modules on:<\/p>\n