Free to Focus

by Michael Hyatt

  A PLAN TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTIONS

  It’s time to use the strategies and practices in this chapter to develop your personalized action plan for minimizing disruptions in your day. Download a copy of the Focus Defense Worksheet at FreeToFocus.com/tools.

  Your first goal is to eliminate interruptions. Start by creating an Activation Trigger. Remember, this is just a simple reminder of your intention, a prompt to help you implement positive action. In this case, it could be something like hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on your door. Next, list the obstacles you think could get in the way. Then, predetermine your response—your Anticipation Tactic.

  Repeat this same process for distractions. When you’re done, you’ll have clear, actionable strategy for banishing the time bandits once and for all.

  Put Your Focus to Work

  Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.

  STEPHEN KING

  In 1816 Francis Ronalds looped eight miles of wire between two poles in his backyard. Sending signals over the wire keyed to letters of the alphabet, he was able to send messages that could be received and decoded in an instant. Before Ronalds’s invention of the telegraph, messages could only travel as fast as they could be physically transmitted over the necessary distance. Ronalds wrote the British Admiralty with news of his extraordinary breakthrough, expecting an eager reception. Instead, an official responded and said the government had no need of his invention. As historian Ian Mortimer explains, “The Admiralty believed that the semaphore system they had then recently adopted—that is, men waving flags at each other—was superior.”1 Can you believe it!

  It’s easy to mock the officials, but we’re all prone to the same basic mistake. We overvalue our current systems and resist change—even if that change will bring about immediate, life-altering benefits. I tell this story because you’re now faced with a choice: you can opt for a new and transformative approach to productivity—or you can wave flags. The old methods of productivity have taken us as far as they can and burned up many of us along the way. It’s time for a new approach. The world caught on to Ronalds’s invention and set a communications revolution in motion that still affects us today. I want you to join the Free to Focus productivity revolution.

  We started this book with an unusual call to Stop. I told you then that the best way to start was by stopping, because I was certain you were spending far too much time and energy on things that ultimately didn’t matter. But that was a long time ago. That was before you learned how to articulate your why for increasing your productivity, before you learned how to cut the unnecessary tasks and time-wasters from your schedule, and before you learned how to put all these principles into action. Now, armed with what we’ve learned, it’s time to begin.

  Your Free to Focus Success Path

  Here’s a start-to-finish success path you can follow beginning right now.

  Clear the decks. Carve out some margin so you can focus on implementing Free to Focus. Triage your calendar and make whatever arrangements you need to buy yourself some time. If you have an assistant, loop them into this process.

  Set your baseline. Use the Free to Focus Productivity Assessment I mentioned at the start of the book to establish your productivity baseline. You can find that at FreeToFocus.com/assessment.

  Clarify your objective. Get clear on the goal of productivity. It’s about doing more of the right things, not simply doing more. High performance for its own sake is just burnout waiting to happen.

  Find true north. Use the Task Filter and Freedom Compass to identify what’s working for you now and what’s not.

  Schedule margin. Reserve mornings, evenings, and weekends for rejuvenation so you’ve got the mental and emotional energy to maximize your focus.

  Prune the overgrowth. Create a Not-to-Do List using your Freedom Compass and start eliminating everything you can from your calendar and task list—both now and going forward.

  Stop thinking about it. Look at your regular activities—especially morning and evening, workday startup and shutdown—and establish some rituals you can follow. Invent the wheel once and it’ll keep rolling even if you stop paying attention. Next, identify three or four necessary tasks or processes you can automate, starting right away.

  Offload everything you can. Using the Delegation Hierarchy, start offloading tasks to other members of your team. Don’t have a team? Find some freelance help. The more time you spend in your Desire Zone the greater the contribution you’ll make, and that means you can afford the help.

  Plan an Ideal Week. The future is fuzzy. Give it some firm lines by establishing when you want to do what. This is the best way to ensure you get the margin you need and have time to focus on what matters most.

  Design your week and day. Use the Weekly Preview along with the Weekly and Daily Big 3 to keep track of your goals and key projects and execute your essential tasks, day in and out.

  Beat interruptions and distractions. Interruptions and distractions can derail your day, but they don’t have to. You have far more control over disruptions than you might realize. Follow the suggestions in chapter 9 and banish them for good.

  It can take a while to get dialed in, but you’ve got what it takes. As a high-achiever, you’re not only up for a challenge, you’re also an expert in rising to the occasion and reaping the rewards.

  Staying on Track

  Once you start using the Free to Focus system, it will help you maintain momentum—even when new obstacles and challenges arise. And they will. High-achievers are always moving. Hold on to your Freedom Compass and let it guide you through the twists and turns. Now you know how to navigate. When faced with roadblocks to your productivity, just go back to the three primary steps of the system: Stop, Cut, and Act. These steps provide a rapid course correction so you can stay on track even in your busiest seasons.

  Stop. No one makes smart decisions in a frenzy of activity. Instead, press pause. Step away from your desk. Take a walk outside. Get a good night’s sleep—whatever it takes to clear your head. Then evaluate. Reflect on your true objective, get clear on why it matters, and consider any changes you may need to make to your strategy in order to achieve it.

  Cut. Odds are you don’t just feel as if you have too much to do. You actually have too much to do. Even after you’ve implemented the Free to Focus system, you may find tasks creeping onto your list and slowly encroaching on your productivity. Use what you’ve learned to eliminate, automate, and delegate as many of these tasks as possible.

  Act. Now that you have a clear path, it’s time to get moving. Starting is half the battle, so identify next steps that will give you a quick sense of momentum. The other half of the battle is staying focused. Interruptions and distractions can sabotage even your best efforts. Identify the strategies you’ll use to stay focused—whether it’s switching off your notifications or hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on your office door. You’ll be amazed how much you can accomplish when you’re free to focus.

  Remember what Herbert Simon said at the start: “Information consumes the attention of its recipients.” We work in the Distraction Economy. Attention is a scarce resource, and almost everyone out there is trying to capitalize on your focus. If you’re not careful, you’ll spend your most valuable resource to achieve someone else’s goals.

  The solution is to leverage your focus and make progress on the initiatives and projects that will drive your success. That’s what Free to Focus has shown you how to do. Just as important, it’s shown you how to finally get your margin back. Working forty (or even fewer) hours a week means ample time to invest in your most important relationships, your health and hobbies, and all the other things that keep you sharp and productive for the long haul.

  So start implementing these strategies. Start taking control of your schedule and maximizing your energy for the things that matter. Start a productivity revolution in your business. Start achieving more by doing less.

  Acknowledgments
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br />   Writing is difficult, arduous work. It requires years (in some cases, decades) of research, practice, feedback, and refinement—especially a practical book like this one that promises readers they can achieve more by doing less. This book would not exist if it were not for the influence of my mentors, colleagues, clients, customers, and family.

  Of my mentors, there are many. I benefited from their books, workshops, and personal coaching. These include David Allen, Ken Blanchard, Larry Bossidy, Stephen R. Covey, Charles Duhigg, Carol Dweck, Peter F. Drucker, Todd Duncan, Tim Ferriss, Daniel Harkavy, Charles Hobbs, Gary Keller, Jim Loehr, Leslie H. Matthies, Chris McChesney, Greg McKeown, Dan Meub, Ilene Muething, Cal Newport, Hyrum W. Smith, Dan Sullivan, Rory Vaden, and Stephanie Winston. My work is built on the foundation of yours.

  Joel Miller, our chief content officer at Michael Hyatt & Company, drafted this manuscript using the content of my course by the same name, assorted blog posts, podcasts, and webinars, and my interactions with students both online and off. He (and collaborator Allen Harris) worked tirelessly to finish this project in the midst of an unusually busy season in our business. I am grateful for Joel’s ability to analyze, synthesize, and organize my content into final form.

  My literary agent, Bryan Norman of Alive Communications, is an invaluable part of our team. He is my trusted advisor for all things related to my publishing. Not only is he crazy-smart, but he’s also exceedingly responsive and flawless in his execution. His quick wit and light heart are the icing on the cake.

  I am grateful to my editor, Chad Allen, for his vision, creative input, and patience in working with Joel and me on this project. His enthusiasm for this project was contagious and provided the creative fuel we needed to carry it across the goal line.

  I would also like to thank all my friends at Baker Books, including Dwight Baker, Brian Vos, Mark Rice, Patti Brinks, and Barb Barnes. This is our third project together, and we have several more to come. I am deeply grateful for our publishing partnership. As an author, I could not be happier.

  My wife, Gail, is a constant source of encouragement. Nothing ever makes it into print without her input. I test all my ideas on her first. Gratefully, she jumps in with a joyful and supportive heart. She is also not bashful in expressing her opinion—and I am better for it. She constantly challenges me to say things in a way that is more clear, more simple, and more engaging.

  It’s difficult to achieve maximum productivity without a great executive assistant. In my nearly four-decade career, three stand out as extraordinary. Tricia Sciortino was my first virtual executive assistant. By her own example, she demonstrated that executive assistants are capable of way more than I ever thought possible. Not surprisingly, she is now the president of Belay Solutions, now the world’s premier provider of virtual assistant services.

  Suzie Barbour served as my executive assistant after Tricia. She, too, did an amazing job—so much so that we promoted her to supervise our internal pool of executive assistants. We then promoted her again. She is currently our Director of Operations. She continues to exceed my expectations, raising the bar on what is possible.

  Jim Kelly is my current executive assistant. He anticipates my needs, not only before I articulate them, but often before I am even conscious of them. My only explanation is that he is a mind reader. He does all this with unusual professionalism, kindness, and zero drama.

  I especially want to thank the alumni of my Free to Focus online course and BusinessAccelerator clients, including those who have shared their stories in this book: Rene Banglesdorf, Roy Barberi, Mariel Diaz, Matt Lapp, Caleb Roney, and Stephen Roney. You are more than customers and clients; you are my teachers.

  Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my amazing team at Michael Hyatt & Company. They inspire me every day and enable me to do what I do best. They are truly the #bestteamever. These include Adam Hill, Aleshia Curry, Andrew Fockel, Chad Cannon, Charae Price, Courtney Baker, Danielle Rodgers, Dave Yankowiak, Deidra Romero, Jamie Cartwright, Jamie Hess, Jeremy Lott, Jim Kelly, Joel Miller, John Meese, Justin Barbour, Kyle Wyley, Larry Wilson, Mandi Rivieccio, Megan Hyatt Miller, Megan Greer, Mike “Verbs” Boyer, Mike Burns, Neal Samudre, Sarah McElroy, Susan Caldwell, and Suzie Barbour.

  Notes

  Stepping into Focus

  1. Herbert A. Simon, “Designing Organizations for an Information-Rich World,” Computers, Communication, and the Public Interest, ed. Martin Greenberger (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1971), 40.

  2. Oliver Burkeman, “Attentional Commons,” New Philosopher, August–October 2017.

  3. Richard Ovenden, “Virtual Memory: The Race to Save the Information Age,” Financial Times, May 19, 2016, https://www.ft.com/content/907fe3a6-1ce3-11e6-b286-cddde55ca122.

  4. Brian Dumaine, “The Kings of Concentration,” Inc., May 2014, https://www.inc.com/magazine/201405/brian-dumaine/how-leaders-focus-with-distractions.html.

  5. Rachel Emma Silverman, “Workplace Distractions: Here’s Why You Won’t Finish This Article,” Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2012, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388.

  6. Silverman, “Workplace Distractions.”

  7. Brent D. Peterson and Gaylan W. Nielson, Fake Work (New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2009), xx.

  8. Susanna Huth, “Employees Waste 759 Hours Each Year Due to Workplace Distractions,” London Telegraph, June 22, 2015, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/11691728/Employees-waste-759-hours-each-year-due-to-workplace-distractions.html. Brigid Schulte, “Work Interruptions Can Cost You 6 Hours a Day,” Washington Post, June 1, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/06/01/interruptions-at-work-can-cost-you-up-to-6-hours-a-day-heres-how-to-avoid-them.

  9. Jonathan B. Spira, Overload! (New York: Wiley, 2011), xiv.

  10. Joseph Carroll, “Time Pressures, Stress Common for Americans,” Gallup, January 2, 2008, http://news.gallup.com/poll/103456/Time-Pressures-Stress-Common-Americans.aspx.

  11. Maurie Backman, “Work-Related Stress: Is Your Job Making You Sick?” USA Today, February 10, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/2018/02/10/is-your-job-making-you-sick/110121176/.

  12. Jennifer J. Deal, “Always On, Never Done?” Center for Creative Leadership, August 2013, https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1148838/always-on-never-done.pdf.

  13. Patricia Reaney, “Love Them or Loathe Them, Emails Are Here to Stay,” Reuters, August 26, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-work-emails/love-them-or-loathe-them-emails-are-here-to-stay-survey-idUSL1N10Z29D20150826.

  14. According to the same survey, nearly 8 percent check work email at kids’ school functions, and more than 6 percent do it at weddings. What’s more, 4 percent do it when they or their spouse is in labor, and some even do it at funerals! Melanie Hart, “Hail Mail or Fail Mail?” TechTalk, June 24, 2015, https://techtalk.gfi.com/hail-mail-or-fail-mail.

  15. Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass (New York: Macmillan, 1897), 42.

  16. Alan Schwarz, “Workers Seeking Productivity in a Pill Are Abusing A.D.H.D. Drugs,” New York Times, April 18, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/us/workers-seeking-productivity-in-a-pill-are-abusing-adhd-drugs.html. Carl Cederström, “Like It or Not, ‘Smart Drugs’ Are Coming to the Office,” Harvard Business Review, May 19, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/05/like-it-or-not-smart-drugs-are-coming-to-the-office. Andrew Leonard, “How LSD Microdosing Became the Hot New Business Trip,” Rolling Stone, November 20, 2015, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-lsd-microdosing-became-the-hot-new-business-trip-20151120. Lila MacLellan, “The Science behind the 15 Most Common Smart Drugs,” Quartz, September 20, 2017, https://qz.com/1064224/the-science-behind-the-15-most-common-smart-drugs/.

  17. Burkeman, “Attentional Commons.”

  Chapter 1 Formulate

  1. Quoted in Nikil Saval, Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace (New York: Doubleday, 2014), 50. See the full discussion of Taylor and Taylorism
on pages 45–62. Taylor’s disciples later applied his approach to office workers, determining how long it took for basic tasks, such as opening desk drawers and turning in a swivel chair. (In case you’re wondering, the times are .04 and .009 minutes, respectively.) “Taylor and his disciples turned efficiency into a science,” economist Jeremy Rifkin said. “They inaugurated a new ethos. Efficiency was officially christened the dominant value of the contemporary age.” See Rifkin, Time Wars (New York: Touchstone, 1989), 131–32.

  2. Lydia Saad, “The ‘40-Hour’ Workweek Is Actually Longer—by Seven Hours,” Gallup, August 29, 2014, http://news.gallup.com/poll/175286/hour-workweek-actually-longer-seven-hours.aspx.

  3. Heather Boushey and Bridget Ansel, “Overworked America,” Washington Center for Equitable Growth, May 2016, http://cdn.equitablegrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/16164629/051616-overworked-america.pdf.

  4. Leslie A. Perlow and Jessica L. Porter, “Making Time Off Predictable—and Required,” Harvard Business Review, October 2009, https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required.

  5. Josef Pieper, Leisure as the Basis of Culture, trans. Alexander Dru (San Francisco: Ignatius, 2009), 20.

  6. “The North American Workplace Survey,” WorkplaceTrends, June 29, 2015, https://workplacetrends.com/north-american-workplace-survey/.

  7. “The Employee Burnout Crisis: Study Reveals Big Workplace Challenge in 2017,” Kronos, January 9, 2017, https://www.kronos.com/about-us/newsroom/employee-burnout-crisis-study-reveals-big-workplace-challenge-2017.