Maintaining focus nowadays is harder than ever before. Your pocket vibrates at any moment because you're getting ten new emails, social media has all these notifications, the phone is ringing, your kids need help, and your colleagues are asking you to chime in on some memo. However, maintaining focus is more critical than before. The most productive people and companies create ways to manage their minds so they can focus on what's important and ignore distractions. The way they do this is by building mental models.

Using mental models to maintain focus

Essentially, productive people tell themselves stories about what they expect to see. Engaging in this inner dialogue about what they think should be happening allows their brain to figure out what to focus on and ignore. For example, researchers found that the best NICU nurses created a picture in their minds of what they thought the perfect baby should look like. Then, walking through the unit, they would notice when babies didn't match that picture and investigate in good time to save the babies' lives.

Mental models

People are much better at maintaining their focus, not reacting and not getting distracted because they've envisioned what they expect to occur ahead of time. So when riding the subway to work, they envision what the day will be like and what they expect to happen at that meeting. Or they have a picture in their mind of what it's going to be like to deal with the kids while making dinner.  The result is that their subconscious knows what to focus on when their pocket buzzes.

How people can maintain focus 

Build Mental Models to Enhance Your Focus Watch the newest video from Big Think: https://bigth.ink/NewVideo Join Big Think Edge for exclusive videos: https://bigth.ink/Edge ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We all get the same amount of hours in a day. Some people definitely seem to have more. Writers like Steven King and James Patterson, performers like Beyoncé, filmmakers who release a new blockbuster or shoe-gazing comedy every year, and world leaders who are across all of humanity’s problems. Even some humble ordinary folks seem to get more done than appears possible, but 24 hours is the contract our planet signed with the sun so there it is, cut and dried. In these distracted and competitive times, there is an overwhelming thirst for knowledge on productivity and life hacks to beat procrastination. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg finds it incredibly problematic that even though we have more tools and digital assistance than ever in achieving our goals, that same luxury interrupts us more often and makes it so much harder to focus. In researching his latest book Smarter Faster Better Duhigg spent an inordinate amount of time (well-structured time, we assume) talking to over 400 people about productivity, collecting several hundred tips and hacks, many of which contradicted one another. So what reliably and consistently sets ultra-productive people and organizations apart? One of the key commonalities he found was the ability of some people to selectively focus. It turns out the most efficient among us are constantly prioritizing and asking themselves: what are the goals that I should be chasing after right now? According Duhigg, this process starts with mental imagery, what he calls building a ‘mental model’ in your head at the start of each day, something Duhigg now dedicates his morning commute time to. He advises that we spend that time picturing what our day will look like – what do you need to get done? What are the events you can expect? How will you go about doing them? We are surrounded by the needs of others all day long, whether it’s a boss, colleagues, family or friends, email requests or social notifications, and it’s our natural impulse to react immediately when called upon. A notification 'ding!' is tragically pavlovian. Many of us will get a text while we’re busy and send a quick reply that we later regret, or blurt out an unsatisfactory answer to a boss who puts us on the spot. People with a mental model in their minds, on the other hand, already know what to focus on, and have the ability to say or ‘Can we discuss that at a later time?’ or simply leave a text or email to sit for a while. "The more that I have thought through what’s about to occur, the more that I have a strong vision in my mind of what I should expect and anticipate, the more my subconscious is going to be able to decide this is what you should focus on." Instead of reacting immediately, your time is actually much better spent taking a couple of minutes to make a better decision about where your focus should go. Charles Duhigg's most recent book is Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARLES DUHIGG: Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter for The New York Times and the author of The Power of Habit. He is a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, he lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT: Charles Duhigg: Nowadays it’s incredibly hard to stay focused. There’s so many distractions around us at any given moment. Your pocket vibrates at any given moment because you’re getting ten new emails and on social media there’s all these new notifications and the phone is ringing and your kids need help and your colleagues are coming up because you are working in an open office plan and they’re asking you to chime in on some memo. Maintaining focus nowadays is harder than ever before. But it’s way more critical too. One of the things that we know about the most productive people and the most productive companies is that they create ways to enhance their focus. They manage their mind in such a way that they’re able to focus on what’s important and ignore distractions much better. And the way that they do this is by what’s known as building mental models. Essentially telling themselves stories about what they expect to see, engaging in this kind of inner dialogue about what they think should be happening... Read the full transcript at https://bigthink.com/videos/charles-duhigg-on-training-your-mind-to-stay-focused

productivity

Productivity

problemsolving

Problem Solving

videos

Videos

Build Mental Models to Enhance Your Focus | Charles Duhigg | Big Think

There are four types of clutter:<ol><li>paper</li><li>digital</li><li>emotional</li><li>spiritual</li></ol> Most people consider clutter to be a tangible problem, but it is an emotional problem. People often experienced a severe emotional loss that leaves them physically paralyzed when they have to clear up clutter. Spiritual clutter represents our hopes, dreams, and fears. We are created for a purpose. When we know our purpose, it's easy to see what's clutter.

Four types of clutter

Three things contribute to clutter: <ol><li>A lack of focus. When you identify the most important tasks and understand why they're important, you can find focus. Then make a plan to accomplish those.</li><li>A lack of systems. It's not enough to identify what you need in a system. You have to implement it.</li><li>A lack of support. People need to work together and live a shared vision and values. That requires proper support through a five-step process: state your vision, identify your obstacles, commit your resources, design and execute your plan, and sustain your success.</li></ol>

How to get rid of clutter.

Not all clutter is physical. But all types can impact your ability to be productive.


4 types of clutter that stop you from achieving your purpose

High performing people are highly focused, and that leads to success. That success produces options and opportunities.
But if you are not careful, it can undermine the things that led to success in the first place. You fall into the undisciplined quest for more. Now you’re doing too many things, and while they may all be good things, it’s just too many different things. So you start to plateau in your progress or fail.

The busyness trap

Just because someone is busier than you doesn't mean that they are more important. Instead, only do what's essential. Ask yourself what your mission is? What did you come to do? Once you've identified what's essential, you won't fear FOMO. You'll start enjoying JOMO.

Being busy isn't an achievement

Take the time to explore and figure out the contribution you can make. Then go big in it. If you don't know what you're good at, use inversion. List all the things you don't like to do. Ask what you're passionate about or what you'd be interested in learning how to do.For example, if you want to be a writer, your first article doesn't have to be great. Just start by publishing it and then receive feedback. You can always go back and improve your article.

Consider what you're good at

List all your tasks of importance on a scale from 0-100. Then question or eliminate anything that's under a 90. When you do tasks below 90, you inevitably have to make a trade-off.

Find what you should be doing

You have to ignore internal and external voices that want you to prioritise the nonessential. Not every goal is necessarily worthwhile.  However, serving others is a great and essential task. When we step out to serve somebody else, the non-essential stuff will disappear.

Protect your ability to prioritise

Admit mistakes. It can be difficult to admit to yourself that you were wrong, but it is an important first step.Discipline leads to success. You don't become successful, and then you become disciplined. When you become disciplined, success will follow. Take a 10-minute nap every day. Most people are sleep deprived. The brain goes down and, as a result, can't figure out the important from the unimportant.

Life advice

What was important yesterday, may not be important today. Always ask:<ul><li>Who am I?</li><li>Why am I here?</li></ul> Without asking those questions, the stuff on your to-do list could be entirely wrong.

Write a to-do list every day

Greg McKeown is a public speaker, leadership & business strategist and New York Times Bestselling Author. Do you feel busy but not productive? Like you're overworked but under-utilised? Do you struggle with information overload? Success breeds options & opportunities, which often undermines the things that lead to success in the first place. Today Greg teaches us the art of Essentialism; how not to fall into the undisciplined pursuit of more, how to avoid the trivial many and instead focus our attention onto the vital few. This podcast could change your life, don't miss it. Sponsor: Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (Enter promo code MODERNWISDOM for 85% off and 3 Months Free)  Extra Stuff: Buy Essentialism - https://amzn.to/3bSd8jy Check out Greg's Website - https://gregmckeown.com/ Subscribe to Greg's Podcast - https://link.chtbl.com/zXR5Fdfq  Take a break from alcohol and upgrade your life - https://6monthssober.com/podcast Check out everything I recommend from books to products - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

podcasts

Podcasts

How To Focus On What Matters In Life

Your desk can quickly turn into a disaster because most people juggle more tasks than achievable in a standard workday. However, you have to get your work done, so don’t let a messy desk cause you to lose focus or feel anxious.An easy place to start is to take stock of your desk equipment, tools, and decor. Even if you claim that aesthetics aren’t important to you, keep an open mind. Your workspace is a tool that helps you get your job done.

What to Keep on Your Desk to Help Improve Your Focus

Time blindness is real. It can be hard to hang in there if you struggle with staying on task, especially in unpleasant jobs. Consider adding a sand timer to your desk decor to encourage you to work in sprints or practices like the Pomodoro Technique.Timers are available in multiple sizes and speeds. Consider your current work style and attention span to choose those that suit you. For example, if you use the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll need a 25-minute timer to execute the strategy.

A Sand Timer

Analog notes are often the easiest to execute, especially when inspiration hits. Keep a notebook or notepad dedicated for work at your workstation. Have a pen you love on standby, so you’re ready to jot down a takeaway, assignment, or idea. Label your notes so you can keep track of what you’ve written down.One drawback of note-taking supplies is that you won’t find another person in your office with them, and everyone will borrow yours. So get those coloured variety stacks and several pens and locate them on the edge of your desk.

Note-Taking Supplies

Keep an annual calendar in your view, and you just may see your work get smoother.Having a visual of the year ahead can help you plan your workload, consider contingencies, and resist touching distracting tech. Use your annual calendar to layer tasks and responsibilities, so you can tell when workloads can get tight. Then, finalize your workload to your tech-based calendar later and stay in the flow by using a visual calendar first.A paper Calendar can also keep you off of social and seeing your messages when you just have to have a quick date.

An Annual Calendar

Papers may be a necessary evil, especially if your business hasn’t adopted the latest digital tools. Create a system to ingest papers to keep your space clear with no distractions. Instead, use an in/outbox, standing folder holder, or other receptacles to create order where chaos often persists.If you’re often receiving documents for review or sign-off, communicate your process to your team. With a standard protocol, you can ensure that documents are organized and ready for your review.

A Landing Spot for Papers

A powerful quote, poster of your vacation spot, or your kids’ school picture are all fair game for desk decor. Seeing the things and people that matter most can help you push through even the toughest of tasks. Using motivating visuals can remind you of your “why,” especially during challenging seasons of work.Give your motivating visual a place of honor on your workspace. If it’s a photo, invest in a sturdy frame and keep it updated with the latest image of what drives you. Quotes that mean something to you can be tacked on to your monitor or even added to your coffee mug.

A Visual That Motivates You

Many workplaces insist on a clean desk policy to keep customer and company data secure. However, while you should always protect private and personal information, so should you guard your productivity.Make a practice of tidying your space at the end of your workday. Set a reminder on your calendar for the final 15 minutes of your scheduled hours. File papers, remove remnants from meals, and update your to-do list tomorrow.

Keep a Clean Desk Policy

Your desk can quickly turn into a disaster because most people juggle more tasks than achievable in a standard workday. However, you have to get your work done, so don&#8217;t...

5 Things to Keep on Your Desk to Help Improve Your Focus

To be a founder, you have to be world-class in something. Make sure you’re spending the majority of your time doing that thing; this is your ‘zone of genius’.
<ul>
<li>Not compromising will allow you to be a valuable contributor for a much more extended period of time and avoid burnout.</li>
<li>Believe it or not, there are passionate people that are world-class in the work you don’t enjoy doing. Outsource this work to the right people.</li>
</ul>

No Need To Be a CEO To Be an Effective Founder

Free time is an incredibly valuable asset – a full calendar can be good for productivity but not creativityCreativity starts with an empty calendar, but eventually, your calendar gets filled up with execution and a busy calendar is the death of creativityHaving control of your time in a creative job, assuming you’re self-motivated, is the ultimate hack.

Time Is More Valuable Than Money

The companies that succeed are always reinventing themselves and their productsRegardless of positional title, creative people within a company need to have the opportunity to control their time in a way that optimizes and maximizes their creative potentialIf you let operations bog down the subconscious mind of a creator, their creations will never come to fruition.

A Creative Person Needs Space

Be free of mind and free of time. Boredom leads to creativity.

<ul><li>Traditional CEO: raise money, communicate the strategy, recruit and retain the team</li><li>Product CEOs: provide product vision</li><li>Sales CEOs: provide sales leadership</li></ul>Discussing burdens as a CEO is hard as our board could lose faith in you and your employees could stop following youThere is incredible pressure, because many times the investors are investing in the founder just as much as the product.

Being A CEO

CEO is the job you take because there is no other choice, you don’t trust anyone but yourself to make the venture successful<ul><li>CEO is a high-stress, people management role.  </li><li>The CEO is the company psychiatrist, always dealing with people issues.</li></ul>

A Profile Born Out Of Necessity 

If you’re the founder of a company, you’re probably world-class in somethingThere is someone out there that is world-class in the things you don’t want to doDon’t just hire off of skill though, you will only truly hand over the reins if you believe they have a like-minded ‘founder mentality’Recruit founders who have failed through no fault of their ownAn example could be a founder who had the best product in a category that just didn’t have a market fit. These people have a ‘founder mentality’ and haven’t been burnt out yet.

The Founders Mentality

You want to spend all your time on that thing you are good at. Everything else is a necessary evil that should be outsourced.

If I had to articulate how happy I am today, you’d have to lock me up, you can’t have people this happy running around in society.

Naval no longer keeps a calendar but is busy all day long. But, he prioritizes whatever feels most important to him at that moment.<ul><li>Even when you have to do unpleasant things, at least you do them without them being forced upon you.</li><li>You can only live this lifestyle if you’re willing to disappoint people’s initial expectations of you.</li></ul>

Naval's Calendar

In this episode, Matt Mochary and Naval Ravikant (founder and former CEO of AngelList) talk about why you don't need to be the CEO. Naval explains how he realized it wasn't the role he wanted at AngelList, what he did to get over his fear of stepping back, and how much more value he can (and does) create now that he is no longer in that role.If you are not loving being CEO, know that there is likely someone who can do the job better than you, and you can create much more value in the role that you actually love. FULL VIDEO 🎥https://youtu.be/WJuQLzr6PJQRESOURCES ✨- Zone of Genius: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UVWJox31Ani8Cq6Ymhm6DiVUiv5vPkOQd8ZdGpYmbs/editSOCIALS 🐦- Follow Naval on Twitter: https://twitter.com/naval- About Naval: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Ravikant- Check out Naval's Website: https://nav.al/- Follow Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattmochary- About Matt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Mochary- Learn More About the Method: https://www.mocharymethod.com- Podcast produced by: https://www.twitter.com/_rpgbx- Podcast edited by: https://twitter.com/MedleysMindWant to join the Mochary Method software team? 💻- Apply at https://mocharymethod.com/careers

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

business

Business

startup

Startups

Podcast: Naval Ravikant, co-founder of AngelList, explains why you don't need to be CEO

When good engineers suffer from lousy management, they may do all this exciting stuff that makes sense on a micro level, but on a macro level, they make no sense. As a result, these things often get thrown out. Focusing is not about saying yes to every great idea. Focusing is about saying no. The result of that type of focus is some really great products where the total is greater than the sum of the parts.

Producing better products

<blockquote>
People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.
</blockquote>

Excellent short answer on the importance of "no" to get focused, and the effect on people. For more readings on leadership: https://intenseminimalism.com/ (Clipped from the mactechlab source video, I wasn't able to find the original source. Please contact me if you know it to give proper credits).

"Focusing is about saying no" - Steve Jobs (WWDC'97)

It’s natural to think that people who get better results than us are simply more talented. The problem is that it’s not true.What seems like a difference in talent often comes down to a difference in focus. Results come when you focus on one thing for an uncommonly long period of time. Focus is what turns good performers into great performers.That’s not to say talent doesn’t matter. It does. Results follow obsession. When you commit all of your energy in one direction for an uncommonly long period of time, you develop talent. The more you apply that talent, the better your results.

The Talent Gap

“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.”

Here’s one method to help you choose what to focus on and how to use your time:<ul><li>Change how you think about your day. Working longer hours zaps you of your time and energy. Almost all consistently successful people make sleep a priority.</li><li>Write a list of all the goals you have. Writing them down not only frees up your mind from keeping track of them but also gives you a visual representation of just how many things you want to do.</li><li>Circle your top three goals.</li><li>Eliminate everything else.</li></ul>

Choosing What to Focus On

Focus directs your energy toward your goals. The more focused you are, the more energy goes toward what you’re working on. The more energy that goes toward your goals, the better your results.Eliminating things that you care about is hard. You have to make tradeoffs. If you can’t make those tradeoffs, you’re not going to get far. The cost of not being focused is high.

The Power of Focus

The key to better results isn't working harder. Most of us already work long hours. The problem is we don't always work smart.

career

Career

Smarter, Not Harder: How to Succeed at Work - Farnam Street

When we become distracted we lose our focus and it interrupts our attention. When distractions become a habit, we are then unable to sustain the focus required to finish the tasks efficiently.
We also lose time for our friends and loved ones, we miss out on cultivating these relationships for our well-being.
Some distractions may include:
<ul>
<li>Looking at notifications that pop up on our phone no matter where</li>
<li>Interrupting focused work to check email</li>
<li>Chatting with coworkers instead of finishing assigned task</li>
<li>Scrolling through social media when you planned to read a book</li>
</ul>

Distractions Are Harmful

There is no exact opposite for distraction when you try to look it up, however it does have near anotnyms such as assurance, certainty, and convictio. However, these words don't really move away from distraction.Therefore there is a proposal that "traction" be the opposite of distraction.Traction is any action that moves us towards the things we really want.

The Opposite of Distraction

All human behavior is cued by either external or interal triggers.The cues that we get from our environment like dings or pings are external triggers. These prompt us to check our emails or answer a text. Internal triggers are cues that we get from within ourselves, like when we're hungry we feel the need to get something to eat.

Causes of Distraction 

<ol><li>Master your internal triggers. You need to learn how your behaviors are driven. Assess yourself and your need to escape discomfort.</li><li>Make time for traction. It is important to reevaluate what are the things that are important to you, to timebox your schedule to make sure you follow through and get in sync with everyone else.</li><li>Hack back external triggers by removing unused apps, apps that can be used on your computer, by reducing visual clutter, and adjusting your notifcation settings for each app.</li><li>Prevent distraction with pacts. Believe in yourself that you are indistractable.</li></ol>

Becoming Indistractable

Distraction is an unhealthy escape from bad feelings. In this article, Nir provides a 4-step strategy on how to avoid distraction and take back your life.

timemanagement

Time Management

Learn How To Avoid Distraction In A World That Is Full Of It

A conventional computer uses electricity within its silicon chips. Small amounts of electrical current are turned on or off. It represents true and false, or the binary numbers one and zero.
But a quantum computer changes individual quantum elements such as electrons or photons, called qubits. Due to their 'spin', electrons can be up or down, and photons vertical or horizontal at the same time. This quantum superposition means that a qubit is in both states at once.

The power of a quantum computer

Qubits rely on a property known as entanglement - the property of one particle is entangled with another. When there are two entangled particles with a combined spin of zero and one particle collapses so that it spins clockwise, the other particle's state will be anticlockwise. This means, once entangled, qubits can be used to represent massive numbers. For example, Google's quantum computer Sycamore had 53 qubits, meaning it could represent over ten quadrillion combinations simultaneously.

Entangled property of qubits

Quantum computers need delicate storage requirements. If a qubit interacts with an external factor such as a vibration or temperature variation, it can cause them to fall out of superposition before their job has been done. To prevent this, scientists try to preserve these superposition states of qubits in vacuum chambers and very cold spaces.

Quantum computers are fragile

A beginner’s guide to the bizarre physics that powers quantum processors. A computer scientist explains qubits, particle spins and more.

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

How a quantum computer is different from your laptop, explained by a scientist

Originally, dollhouses were not conceived as toys. The first baby-houses of 17th century Germany and Holland weren't even for children. They were objects for wealthy adult women to fill with expensive creations. The first "playing" dollhouses were kitchens with miniature pans and copper kettles the size of a thumb to teach small girls how to keep house. It was only when girls started having fun that it became an object of play.

Miniature items were invented for adults

Psychological studies found that we attribute voices and ideas to miniature people and objects when we're about four to six. From there, miniatures can attract us and can develop into adult obsessions. Miniature things invite respect for the craftsmanship, and the accessories offer an alternative life where people can build lives they'll never be able to experience in full size. One of the most ornate dollhouses was constructed by Colleen Moore, a silent film star of the 1930s. Her castle is only challenged by Queen Mary's Dollhouse, a five-storey that is on display on Windsor Castle.

Why miniatures are appealing

In psychological terms, dollhouses offer a safe space that promotes total control. For children, dollhouses present an environment at their command, even if their own world is chaotic or full of domestic sorrows.
In a world where most millennials are unable to get on the real property ladder, it's no surprise that dollhouses provide a bit of wish fulfilment.

Miniature houses offer safe spaces

As a kid, and a tween, I was a huge dollhouse fan, with an obsession for tiny things. I had, at one point, three, all fully (if chaotically) decorated with mixes of expensive mock-oak furniture from the pricey toy store in my city's fanciest…

Build Mental Models to Enhance Your Focus | Charles Duhigg | Big Think

4 types of clutter that stop you from achieving your purpose

How To Focus On What Matters In Life

5 Things to Keep on Your Desk to Help Improve Your Focus

Podcast: Naval Ravikant, co-founder of AngelList, explains why you don't need to be CEO

Homer Cordaro