<ol><li>Distractions are the biggest threat to doing deep, focused work. When working, avoid switching between tasks, checking emails, or checking your phone. If you can’t address something immediately, let it wait.</li><li>Clean and organize your workspace (and even your computer). Since our brains like organization, clutter will drain your focus, mental performance, and productivity and make you stressed and anxious.</li><li>To mentally prepare yourself to do your best work, take a few minutes before you start to “get in the zone” with a routine—read an inspiring book, write your goals, take a walk, etc. </li><li>To keep your energy levels high all day and increase your endurance, take regular breaks to rest and recover. Just a few minutes every hour or so will help you unlock your deepest work.</li><li>When you’re working, do your “big rocks” (your highest-priority tasks that generate the biggest results) first. Then take care of the “small rocks” (your lower priorities).</li></ol>

Deepfocus Takeaways

<figure><img alt="Image for post" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*3KFIdpnVU3VzxS6Y" width="785" height="523"><figcaption class="ic id cz cx cy ie if ce b ft cg ch" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@christinhumephoto?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ig" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Christin Hume</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ig" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Many employees and entrepreneurs want to boost their focus and discipline so they can get more done in less time.But what I’ve noticed is that people rarely lack focus or discipline; they lack boundaries. They already have the ability to do deep, powerful work, but they hurt their performance with distractions, stresses, and inefficiencies.They might even try countless productivity “hacks,” but it's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Instead, it's far wiser to avoid icebergs or plug holes. After all, we all have moments where we’re “in the zone” and accomplish a lot—the trick is just to do that consistently.After years of entrepreneurship and self-employment—and learning what does and does not work with productivity—I want to share my five simplest and most impactful rules to help you achieve deep, focused work and make the most of your time:<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. Save yourself from productivity killers</h1>The workday is filled with distractions. Emails. Instant messages. Calls. Texts. And that doesn’t even count the work you have to do!But there’s no way you can achieve deep, focused work if you let distractions destroy your day. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/37420-multitasking-brain-psychology.html" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">We cannot multitask</a>. Now, you’re doing Task A while thinking about Task B, C, and D—but since you can’t do everything at once, you do a worse job.Instead, save yourself from these distractions.Silence your phone and put it on Airplane Mode when you’re working.For emails or messages, never check something you can’t address or act on immediately. The time between when you see something and when you can finally act on it will be filled with anxiety and a lack of focus, which hurts your productivity.For example, don’t check your email first thing in the morning. You're not at work yet; all you've done is put yourself in a state of reaction and filled your head with tasks, stressors, and mini-fires you need to put out before you even had a chance to eat breakfast.Another exercise is to track what you do every hour of your workday for several days. You might discover you're spending more time on distractions and less time on your work than you thought. Then you can make adjustments so you can have more productivity during work.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. Set your workspace to stimulate your mind</h1>If your workspace is clutter or disorganized, it's going to be hard to focus—even if you’re not a “neat freak.” In an article in <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-case-for-finally-cleaning-your-desk" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">the Harvard Business Review</a>:<BLOCKQUOTE>“<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318307157" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">My research</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013916518823041" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">that of others</a> has shown that our physical environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions, and behavior, affecting our decision-making and relationships with others. Cluttered spaces can have negative effects on our stress and anxiety levels, as well as our ability to focus, our eating choices, and even our sleep… with workplace stress <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2115" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">costing American businesses up to $190 billion every year</a> in health care costs alone, it’s time to recognize the role that clutter plays in our work lives — and to do something to clean up the mess.</BLOCKQUOTE>Sometimes before I work, I tidy my home. I put certain things away, throw out useless items, and straighten papers—and when I work, I notice it’s so much easier to focus.Also, it’s not just the clutter around your workspace; it’s also the clutter in your workspace. Let’s say you work on your computer. If your background is covered with folders, you have 15 tabs open at the same time, and you’re listening to a podcast, it’s going to be difficult to do deep work.In fact, research from Princeton found that just <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21228167/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">seeing clutter and irrelevant objects drain our mental performance and focus</a>; only after people cleared the clutter did they increase their focus and productivity.Close all the tabs, browsers, and applications you don't need. Put away dirty dishes. Store those stacks of paper you haven't touched in months or recycle them.Then, get to work.<figure><img alt="Image for post" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*s1CPEz_QQTWokzL8" width="785" height="523"><figcaption class="ic id cz cx cy ie if ce b ft cg ch" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@levajsics?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ig" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Norbert Levajsics</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ig" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. Copy elite athletes to enhance your performance</h1>Whether you work at 5 AM or 5 PM, if you’re stressed, anxious, or bored before you work, you can’t perform your best no matter what.Instead, before you start, take a moment to get “in the zone” and prepare yourself to give your best effort. That’s actually a secret of elite-level athletes: They always <a href="https://www.sportsretriever.com/uncategorized/30-athletes-rituals/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">follow the same pre-game ritual</a> no matter what. <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Rituals%20OBHDP_5cbc5848-ef4d-4192-a320-68d30169763c.pdf" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Research from Harvard Business School shows the benefits of routines</a>:<BLOCKQUOTE>“…we find that rituals can help people perform better: by reducing anxiety, performance improves. Second, our research contributes to the clinical literatures on stress, trait anxiety, coping, and emotion regulation. In our studies, rituals reduced state anxiety, a feeling that many people experience in situations that arise over the course of a typical day.”</BLOCKQUOTE>For example, take a few minutes to read an inspiring book, meditate, do some push-ups, take a walk, or write your goals — some kind of activity to help you feel excited and motivated about the work that you’re going to do.Once you finish your routine, you'll be ready to crush your tasks.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">4. Get more results by working less time</h1>If you have five hours to work, you can't just go guns-blazing for five straight hours. (You could try, but it won’t be “good” work for all 5 hours.)And even though taking breaks means you won’t be working for the same amount of time, you’ll actually get far more done versus working nonstop and burning out.I use the <a href="https://science.nichd.nih.gov/confluence/display/newsletter/2020/05/07/The+Pomodoro+Technique%3A+An+Effective+Time+Management+Tool" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pomodoro Technique</a> where you set a timer for a certain duration to work, then you rest for a certain amount of time, and then you go back to work. It's like interval training with exercise, but with your job or business.While you don't need to follow that specific approach, as long as you're taking regular breaks throughout your workday, you’ll maintain your ability to do deep, focused work for much longer.Also, keep in mind when you take breaks, don't just distract yourself with emails or messages. Ideally, get up and stretch a little bit, take a walk, or do something physical to distance yourself from your work and actually unplug, not just distract yourself further.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">5. Focus on your “big rocks” first</h1>Your “big rocks” are your highest priorities — the things that are going to make the biggest impact on your company, job, life goals, etc.Your “little rocks” are your lowest priorities — the small tasks that don’t make any significant impact on your life both now or in the future.Now, imagine you have a huge jar and you want to fill it with big rocks and small rocks—what’s the best way to fill the jar?The best way is to put your big rocks in first and then fill all the gaps with the little rocks.But if you fill your jar with your little rocks first, you have no space for the big rocks.Same with your work.What prevents many people from doing their best work is they focus on the little rocks, trying to finish a bunch of minor items on their to-do list or just putting out a bunch of fires.Instead, you want to focus on your big rocks first so that you get the most impact from each and every day. Then once you finish those big tasks, you can spend the rest of your workday on the smaller, less-important items. (Keep in mind: Your low priorities aren’t always the shortest in duration and your highest priorities aren’t always the longest — it’s about leverage.)For this, I like to use the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">80/20 Rule</a> and prioritize the 20% of my tasks that will bring 80% (or more) of my results.On the top of my notepad, I always write the 3 main things I want to accomplish no matter what (my big rocks). Below that, I write the other things that I would like to do (my little rocks) after I accomplish those top three things.By doing that, not only do I get the most results from each day, but I also feel more focused because I know exactly what to do and in what order.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Takeaways</h1>Every entrepreneur wants to unlock deep, focused performance so they can do their best work and accomplish more in less time. But fortunately, it doesn't require more “discipline” or “willpower;” just follow a few simple rules that will help you boost your productivity consistently:<OL><LI>Distractions are the biggest threat to doing deep, focused work. When working, avoid switching between tasks, checking emails, or checking your phone. If you can’t address something immediately, let it wait.</LI><LI>Clean and organize your workspace (and even your computer). Since our brains like organization, clutter will drain your focus, mental performance, and productivity and make you stressed and anxious.</LI><LI>To mentally prepare yourself to do your best work, take a few minutes before you start to “get in the zone” with a routine—read an inspiring book, write your goals, take a walk, etc.</LI><LI>To keep your energy levels high all day and increase your endurance, take regular breaks to rest and recover. Just a few minutes every hour or so will help you unlock your deepest work.</LI><LI>When you’re working, do your “big rocks” (your highest-priority tasks that generate the biggest results) first. Then take care of the “small rocks” (your lower priorities).</LI></OL>Ready to upgrade your productivity and success? I’ve created 5 free life hacks that will boost your results. If you use them, your life could change very quickly.

Many employees and entrepreneurs want to boost their focus and discipline so they can get more done in less time. But what I’ve noticed is that people rarely lack focus or discipline; they lack…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Many employees and entrepreneurs want to boost their focus and discipline so they can get more done in less time.

But what I’ve noticed is that people rarely lack focus or discipline; they lack boundaries. They already have the ability to do deep, powerful work, but they hurt their performance with distractions, stresses, and inefficiencies.

They might even try countless productivity “hacks,” but it's like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Instead, it's far wiser to avoid icebergs or plug holes. After all, we all have moments where we’re “in the zone” and accomplish a lot—the trick is just to do that consistently.

After years of entrepreneurship and self-employment—and learning what does and does not work with productivity—I want to share my five simplest and most impactful rules to help you achieve deep, focused work and make the most of your time:

1. Save yourself from productivity killers

The workday is filled with distractions. Emails. Instant messages. Calls. Texts. And that doesn’t even count the work you have to do!

But there’s no way you can achieve deep, focused work if you let distractions destroy your day. <a href="https://www.livescience.com/37420-multitasking-brain-psychology.html">We cannot multitask </a>. Now, you’re doing Task A while thinking about Task B, C, and D—but since you can’t do everything at once, you do a worse job.

Instead, save yourself from these distractions.

Silence your phone and put it on Airplane Mode when you’re working.

For emails or messages, never check something you can’t address or act on immediately. The time between when you see something and when you can finally act on it will be filled with anxiety and a lack of focus, which hurts your productivity.

For example, don’t check your email first thing in the morning. You're not at work yet; all you've done is put yourself in a state of reaction and filled your head with tasks, stressors, and mini-fires you need to put out before you even had a chance to eat breakfast.

Another exercise is to track what you do every hour of your workday for several days. You might discover you're spending more time on distractions and less time on your work than you thought. Then you can make adjustments so you can have more productivity during work.

2. Set your workspace to stimulate your mind

If your workspace is clutter or disorganized, it's going to be hard to focus—even if you’re not a “neat freak.” In an article in <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-case-for-finally-cleaning-your-desk">the Harvard Business Review </a>:

“<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318307157">My research </a>and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013916518823041">that of others </a>has shown that our physical environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions, and behavior, affecting our decision-making and relationships with others. Cluttered spaces can have negative effects on our stress and anxiety levels, as well as our ability to focus, our eating choices, and even our sleep… with workplace stress <a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/mnsc.2014.2115">costing American businesses up to $190 billion every year </a>in health care costs alone, it’s time to recognize the role that clutter plays in our work lives — and to do something to clean up the mess.

Sometimes before I work, I tidy my home. I put certain things away, throw out useless items, and straighten papers—and when I work, I notice it’s so much easier to focus.

Also, it’s not just the clutteraround your workspace; it’s also the clutter in your workspace. Let’s say you work on your computer. If your background is covered with folders, you have 15 tabs open at the same time, and you’re listening to a podcast, it’s going to be difficult to do deep work.

In fact, research from Princeton found that just <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21228167/">seeing clutter and irrelevant objects drain our mental performance and focus </a>; only after people cleared the clutter did they increase their focus and productivity.

Close all the tabs, browsers, and applications you don't need. Put away dirty dishes. Store those stacks of paper you haven't touched in months or recycle them.

3. Copy elite athletes to enhance your performance

Whether you work at 5 AM or 5 PM, if you’re stressed, anxious, or bored before you work, you can’t perform your best no matter what.

Instead, before you start, take a moment to get “in the zone” and prepare yourself to give your best effort. That’s actually a secret of elite-level athletes: They always <a href="https://www.sportsretriever.com/uncategorized/30-athletes-rituals/">follow the same pre-game ritual </a>no matter what. <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/Rituals%20OBHDP_5cbc5848-ef4d-4192-a320-68d30169763c.pdf">Research from Harvard Business School shows the benefits of routines </a>:

“…we find that rituals can help people perform better: by reducing anxiety, performance improves. Second, our research contributes to the clinical literatures on stress, trait anxiety, coping, and emotion regulation. In our studies, rituals reduced state anxiety, a feeling that many people experience in situations that arise over the course of a typical day.”

For example, take a few minutes to read an inspiring book, meditate, do some push-ups, take a walk, or write your goals — some kind of activity to help you feel excited and motivated about the work that you’re going to do.

Once you finish your routine, you'll be ready to crush your tasks.

If you have five hours to work, you can't just go guns-blazing for five straight hours. (You could try, but it won’t be “good” work for all 5 hours.)

And even though taking breaks means you won’t be working for the same amount of time, you’ll actually get far more done versus working nonstop and burning out.

I use the <a href="https://science.nichd.nih.gov/confluence/display/newsletter/2020/05/07/The+Pomodoro+Technique%3A+An+Effective+Time+Management+Tool">Pomodoro Technique </a>where you set a timer for a certain duration to work, then you rest for a certain amount of time, and then you go back to work. It's like interval training with exercise, but with your job or business.

While you don't need to follow that specific approach, as long as you're taking regular breaks throughout your workday, you’ll maintain your ability to do deep, focused work for much longer.

Also, keep in mind when you take breaks, don't just distract yourself with emails or messages. Ideally, get up and stretch a little bit, take a walk, or do something physical to distance yourself from your work and actually unplug, not just distract yourself further.

Your “big rocks” are your highest priorities — the things that are going to make the biggest impact on your company, job, life goals, etc.

Your “little rocks” are your lowest priorities — the small tasks that don’t make any significant impact on your life both now or in the future.

Now, imagine you have a huge jar and you want to fill it with big rocks and small rocks—what’s the best way to fill the jar?

The best way is to put your big rocks in first and then fill all the gaps with the little rocks.

But if you fill your jar with your little rocks first , you have no space for the big rocks.

What prevents many people from doing their best work is they focus on the little rocks, trying to finish a bunch of minor items on their to-do list or just putting out a bunch of fires.

Instead, you want to focus on your big rocks first so that you get the most impact from each and every day. Then once you finish those big tasks, you can spend the rest of your workday on the smaller, less-important items. (Keep in mind: Your low priorities aren’t always the shortest in duration and your highest priorities aren’t always the longest — it’s about leverage.)

For this, I like to use the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle">80/20 Rule </a>and prioritize the 20% of my tasks that will bring 80% (or more) of my results.

On the top of my notepad, I always write the 3 main things I want to accomplish no matter what (my big rocks). Below that, I write the other things that I would like to do (my little rocks) after I accomplish those top three things.

By doing that, not only do I get the most results from each day, but I also feel more focused because I know exactly what to do and in what order.

Every entrepreneur wants to unlock deep, focused performance so they can do their best work and accomplish more in less time. But fortunately, it doesn't require more “discipline” or “willpower;” just follow a few simple rules that will help you boost your productivity consistently:

<ol><li>Distractions are the biggest threat to doing deep, focused work. When working, avoid switching between tasks, checking emails, or checking your phone. If you can’t address something immediately, let it wait. </li><li>Clean and organize your workspace (and even your computer). Since our brains like organization, clutter will drain your focus, mental performance, and productivity and make you stressed and anxious. </li><li>To mentally prepare yourself to do your best work, take a few minutes before you start to “get in the zone” with a routine—read an inspiring book, write your goals, take a walk, etc. </li><li>To keep your energy levels high all day and increase your endurance, take regular breaks to rest and recover. Just a few minutes every hour or so will help you unlock your deepest work. </li><li>When you’re working, do your “big rocks” (your highest-priority tasks that generate the biggest results) first. Then take care of the “small rocks” (your lower priorities). </li> </ol>

Ready to upgrade your productivity and success? I’ve created 5 free life hacks that will boost your results. If you use them, your life could change very quickly.

5 Simple Rules to Achieve Deep, Focused Work

Deepfocus Takeaways

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