{"id":73449,"date":"2022-07-18T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T15:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=73449"},"modified":"2022-07-28T15:13:41","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T19:13:41","slug":"focus-on-one-thing-at-a-time-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/focus-on-one-thing-at-a-time-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Focus on One Thing at a Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Does your mind feel scattered? Do you feel like you need to focus on one thing at a time<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Make Time<\/em>, Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky say having one central task as the focus of each day is the key to success<\/a>. They also claim you need to arrange your time and energy to support that key activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out how to focus on one thing at a time<\/a> below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is a \u201cDaily Focus\u201d?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Learning to focus on one thing at a time is just as vital as maintaining your attention and using whatever tricks you can to keep yourself in the groove. According to the authors, your “Focus” will be a single task or project that will take 60-90 minutes to complete. Anything shorter may not be long enough for you to get fully immersed in your work, while anything longer risks wearing you out and impacting your energy for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear, your Focus doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be related to your day job<\/strong>. It might be a project at home, something to benefit your family, or something done merely for pleasure or growth. The importance of choosing a Focus is that it lets you set your own priorities instead of responding to external demands<\/strong>. Also, be aware that your Focus doesn\u2019t need to be set in stone; you can change it at any point throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Experts on personal success agree that determining where you direct your attention<\/a> is a crucial first step to steering your life. In First Things First<\/em><\/a>, businessman Stephen Covey advises shifting your attention to significant <\/em>tasks rather than those that are merely \u201cpressing.\u201d In You Are a Badass<\/em><\/a>, author Jen Sincero<\/a> says that you have to shift your perception toward the reality you want<\/a> before that reality can become a possibility.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your daily Focus can be anything you want, but Knapp and Zeratsky offer several ideas to help you decide where to dedicate your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n