17
Focus Your Attention

Multitasking is a myth. Instead of tackling multiple tasks at once, as the term suggests, people who “multitask” are really shifting their attention. Each time you break your focus—for e-mail, or to respond to a buzz or ping or icon changing color on your phone—it takes significant time to shift your focus back. Don’t be a slave to bells and whistles.

NOTES

1. Email and other notifications can be addictive—literally. When you get a new notification, your brain gets a hit of dopamine—a chemical in a lot of drugs, including cocaine. Don’t start your day with a hit of dopamine. Instead, resolve to work for 90-minute blocks, and check email only during specific windows. Use the daily schedule on these two pages to plan out your day.

2. Beyond blocking out your time, always keep your goals of success and high productivity in mind. Before you do anything, ask yourself, “Is this helping me achieve one of my most important goals, or is this just a distraction?”

Which of your daily tasks are really helping you achieve your most important goals?

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Which tasks are holding you back? Which are just distractions?

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Resolve to stop taking part in those tasks that are just distractions, for the sake of the tasks that are helping you achieve your goals.