How to Focus on What Matters Every Day?
In the book "Make Time", authors Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky present a practical guide to breaking free from the constant busyness and distractions of modern life to focus on what truly matters.
Here are the main lessons from the book:
1. The Make Time Framework
The Make Time strategy is built around a simple four-step daily framework: Highlight, Laser, Energize, and Reflect.
Choose one focal activity or project each day that is important, satisfying, or brings joy, and aim to complete it within 60 to 90 minutes. This helps to ensure that even on the busiest days, you make progress on something meaningful.
To stay focused on your Highlight, create an environment that minimizes distractions. This may involve changing digital habits, such as logging out of social media, turning off notifications, or even using a timer to maintain focus. The goal is to beat distractions and make time for your Highlight.
Taking care of your body is crucial for maintaining the energy needed to focus on your tasks. This includes regular exercise, eating healthy foods like fish and nuts, and getting quality sleep. By recharging your body, you also recharge your brain.
At the end of each day, reflect on how well you were able to focus on your Highlight, the level of energy you had, and the effectiveness of the tactics you used. This step is about learning from your experiences and adjusting your approach for the next day.
2. Overcoming Distractions and Busyness
The book emphasizes that productivity alone can lead to more busyness, and willpower is not enough to save us from distractions. Instead, we need to proactively design our days to prioritize what's important. This involves creating friction to avoid distractions, such as making it harder to access time-wasting apps.
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3. Tactics and Personalization
"Make Time" offers a collection of 87 tactics, but the authors encourage readers to choose and experiment with the ones that work best for their individual situations. The idea is not to try all tactics at once but to find a personalized strategy that helps you make time for what matters.
4. Technology and Mindfulness
The authors provide strategies for managing technology so that it doesn't control your life. This includes practical tips like using a wristwatch instead of a phone to check the time, keeping your phone away from your bedroom, and creating a distraction-free phone. The aim is to use technology mindfully and prevent it from stealing your attention.
5. Health and Energy
Maintaining physical and mental energy is essential for focusing on your daily Highlight. The book suggests habits like fasting to improve focus, drinking coffee strategically, and spending time in nature. These practices help keep your mind and body energized and ready to tackle your priorities.
6. Reflection and Adjustment
Reflection is a key component of the Make Time framework. By reflecting on your day, you can assess what worked, what didn't, and how you can improve your approach to making time for what matters. This continuous process of reflection and adjustment helps you refine your personal Make Time strategy.
In conclusion,
"Make Time" is not about squeezing more productivity out of your day but about making intentional choices to focus on what's truly important.
By following the Make Time framework and experimenting with different tactics, you can create a more fulfilling and focused life, one day at a time.
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Joe Calasan