Focus by Leo Babauta: Focus is about finding simplicity in this Age of Distraction. It’s about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what’s important, to reflect, to find peace.

I don’t think I’ve achieved inner peace yet, but the steps below are helping to focus my energy and manage the myriad of the things that have to get done every day.

Information Cleanse

  • Don’t check email or other types of digital inboxes
  • Don’t log into social media
  • Don’t read news, blogs, subscriptions
  • Don’t check websites for updates
  • Don’t watch TV
  • Don’t use instant messaging
  • Use telephone for essential calls only
  • Send email only if truly necessary and don’t check your inbox while sending those emails
  • Use the internet for only absolutely necessary research
  • Spend your time creating, working on important projects, getting outside, communicating with people in person, collaborating, exercising
  • Read books, long-form articles or essays
  • Watch informative or thought-provoking films, not mindless popular movies
  • Reduce the stream of information/communication

How not to live in your inbox

  • Get your to-do list out of your inbox
  • Do email only at appointed/designated times
  • Do not keep your email program open at all times
  • Choose your tasks wisely

How to disconnect

  • Unplug your network connection
  • Have a disconnect time set for each day
  • Work somewhere that doesn’t have internet access
  • Get outside
  • Leave your mobile behind or at least shut it off
  • Disconnect from work when you’re not at work

Focus rituals

  • Morning quiet time
  • Start of day time
  • Refocus ritual
  • Alternate between focus and rest
  • Alternate between two important focuses
  • Communicate first, then focus
  • End of day time
  • Weekly focus time

Simplify

  • Clear the clutter
  • Learn to delegate
  • Learn to say no
  • Single task whenever possible

Think focusing your thoughts and energy is all a bit of new age hoo-ha, consider these facts:

From Information overload and what you can do about it, LeadershipNow.com, July 20, 2011:

  • A 30-second interruption can result in as much as 5 minutes of recovery time. In total, interruptions plus recovery time consume as much as 28% of the knowledge worker’s day.
  • Information overload costs the U.S. economy a minimum of $900 billion per year in lowered employee productivity and reduced innovation.
  • A 2010 Basex study found that of these tasks, knowledge workers only spend only 5% of the day engaged in thought and reflection.

From Rethinking knowledge work: A strategic approach, The Online Journal of McKinsey & Company; Authored by Thomas Davenport:

  • Over a quarter of a typical knowledge worker’s time is spent searching for information
  • U.K. study suggests that social media use costs British companies 6.5 billion pounds a year in lost productivity

From: Information Overload: Show Me the Data, RescueTime.com, June 14, 2008:

  • Average knowledge worker accesses their email more than 50 times
  • Average knowledge worker uses Instant Messenger more than 77 times
  • Average knowledge worker visits more than 40 web sites a day

From Managers Say the Majority of Information Obtained for Their Work Is Useless, Accenture, January 4, 2007:

  • Managers spend up to two hours a day searching for information, more than 50% of the information they obtain has no value to them
  • 59% of respondent say they miss information that might be valuable to them
  • 42% say they accidnetally use the wrong information at least once a week
  • 45% say gathering information about their company is a big challenge
  • 31% say competitor information is hard to get
  • 57% have to go to numerous sources to compile information
  • 40% say other parts of their company are not willing to share information
  • 36% say there is so much information available that it takes a long time to find the right data