Learning to focus (1/3)

Feeling overwhelmed with tasks that seem to lead nowhere?

Emails, meetings, messenger, and mobile devices keep us busy but often result in low-value, hectic work with minimal positive outcomes. As a consequence, our purposeful projects and dreams are left behind, undone, and postponed.

A 2022 Gallup study reveals that 44% of employees feel overwhelmed, a number steadily rising since 2009 when it was 31%. The solution? Many turn to working overtime to keep up with the demands. In another poll, nearly half of Americans confess they don't have time for what they truly want to do.

While technology enhances productivity, it can also be a double-edged sword, detracting from focused individual work. The surplus of information and distractions creates an attention deficit, leaving us drained and frustrated.

In "Free to Focus," Michael Hyatt shares invaluable insights emphasizing the importance of trade-offs, distinguishing high-leverage activities from low-gear tasks. Productivity, he asserts, isn't about doing more in less time but accomplishing the right things with less effort—an application of the Michelangelo Principle, where what you omit is as crucial as what you do.

Take a moment to reflect on life and work priorities. And weekly commit to undisturbed, individual work, a self-meeting, to focus on what truly matters. This deliberate approach promises visible results in just a few weeks.