Today’s assignment is all about staying FOCUSED. And here's why I LOVE this particular side effect of walking...
You see, what separates the people who do average work - and get average results - from the people who do outstanding work - and get EXCEPTIONAL results - is often simply the ability to stay FOCUSED on the task at hand.
This is true for big, exciting projects, like your next product launch. And it's true for small, tedious tasks, like checking the links in your sales email.
Take one of the most successful business leaders in American history, Andrew Carnegie. He says:
"Concentration is my motto - first honesty, then industry, then concentration."
And it’s true. If you can’t focus when it matters, you can’t get the job done. And you won’t get more than average results.
The good news is:
Today I'll show you how to regain your focus when your thoughts start to wander. How? Simply by taking a short walk and spending some time in NATURE.
But more on that in a second, because...
I want to take this a step further.
You see, when you stay focused on the right task, that's when you'll do the work that makes the biggest impact. And that’s when you get EXCEPTIONAL results.
But when you focus on the wrong task, well, you're still just wasting your energy… Peter F. Drucker said it best:
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”
So as part of this assignment, I also want you to ask yourself this question: “What are the truly important tasks I need to focus on today?”
To help you answer this question, in Step 3 of today’s assignment, I'll share my 0-5-10 Rule.
But first, let’s start with...
You need to find a spot away from the hustle and bustle. Somewhere with trees, grass, flowers, or water. Maybe you already have a place in mind that’s close by. If not…
Think parks, lakes, rivers, the beach, open spaces. Pick a place that’s nearby.
And then...
When you start to lose focus, take a break. Go to the spot you picked in Step 1 and walk for 30 minutes.
Try not to use your phone. You can take a pen and paper. But you don’t have to make an effort to figure anything out…
Just walk.
And then...
Before you jump back into work, take a short moment to figure out WHAT to focus on. You want to figure out the main goal for the rest of your day.
So ask yourself this question:
What’s the ONE project or task you need to finish, so that you can say, “Today was a good day!”?
For example:
Maybe there’s an email sitting in your inbox, waiting for your response. But you’ve been putting it off, because you’re afraid to deliver the bad news or say “no” to someone.
Or maybe you’ve been tweaking the design of your upcoming presentation... For the last two days! But you’re still missing a big takeaway. And you haven’t practiced your delivery.
I'm sure you know what I’m talking about…
The thing we want to do the least, is exactly what we need to do most.
Now what if you can’t decide on your most important task? Well, I’ve got a tip for you. Try the 0-5-10 Rule:
Write down or look at your to-do list. Then think of a scale from 0-10. How important is each task?
But wait… You can only give each task one of three scores:
So before you read on, give each item a score of 0, 5, or 10.
At first glance each item looks important. But in reality there are only a few tasks of exceptional value towards your main goal for the day. So how important is each item on your list; 0, 5, or 10?
Now, here’s what you’re going to do next:
Eliminate all the tasks you gave a 0 or a 5. Focus only on the 10s. This way you should be left with only 1 or 2 crucial to-dos.
A word of warning:
When you decide what to work on, it's tempting to pick tasks that are easy-to-complete. I mean, who doesn't like to check off a box on their to-do list? There's actually some interesting research on this so-called "Completion Bias". It shows that doctors in an emergency room, the busier they get, are more likely to treat "easy cases" first.
But here’s the problem: When you focus on the easy patients, it means the more severe cases are left waiting...
Now you're probably not an ER doctor. But remember, this is the time to focus on your most important work, not just an "easy-to-complete" task.
With that said, you can move on to...
Now use your recharged “focus muscle” to work on your crucial task(s) for at least 30 min. Start with the ONE most important thing on your list.
To make sure you get the job done, follow the next step and...
It’s impossible to focus when you’re getting interrupted all the time. So here are some tips to shut out any distractions while you work:
Do it now!
And if you feel your concentration fading again... take another break and go on another short nature walk.
Leave a comment below and let me know how it goes. Did you find a cool nature spot? Were you able to regain your focus? Did you have a good day? Let’s hear about it..
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