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Getting to Simple: How Experts Figure What to Focus On
What To Focus On
To focus you need to eliminate the distractions, commit to one thing and become great at it.
To know what to focus on, try different things for some time until something comes easily and you can master the core fundamentals of the task. This way you can get a sense of what fits you and set yourself up for success by focusing on what works best.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
6
Key Ideas
Productivity is simplicity
It...
Helping others
Productivity shouldn’t only be the pursuit of self-improvement, but also a mission to improve the lives and the work of people we encounter.
Prioritize the work that excites you
This leaves you to make room on your calendar for discussions that exhilarate you.
When what you spend your time on is congruent with your interests and values, progress feels conveniently close.
3
Key Ideas
Habits or Skills
Decide whether what you're trying to improve is mostly a habit or mostly a skill: if your main problem is with doing something you already know how to do, but doing it consistently, that’s pro...
Improving a habit
This process has 3 main parts:
- Define the habit you want to form clearly and consistently;
- Condition it until it is relatively easy to maintain.
- Maintain the habit by monitoring it. If you slip, push to reassert the habit quickly.
Improving skills
The best strategy for getting better at skills is deliberate practice. A good way to work on this is to divide it into 3:
- Practice the skill.
- Get timely feedback on how well you’re performing.
- Focus on your weak points with selective drills and constrained practice.
5
Key Ideas
Focus on the small improvements
Doing more in less time is not the ultimate solution to productivity. It's the path to burnout.
Productivity rests more on small improvements. By focusing on the small ...
Identify the small improvements you could make
Most people perform a combination of varied small tasks in a day. There may be many small improvements you could make to your workflow or environment to get more done.
Step one is finding out what those things are. Involve your peers or your manager if you need help with this.
Work on one improvement at a time
Every week, choose one thing from your list and focus on it.
- Think of ways to improve this one thing.
- Experiment, and see what works.
- Talk about this one thing with your manager and ask for feedback.
The goal is to find ways to improve that small part of your work.