I recently read a fantastic book that really applies to most of us as professionals and how we “go about” our daily lives.
As legal professionals and admin professionals, it is estimated that on average, we get about two hours of really productive work a day. Doesn’t mean we are working the rest of the day, but it’s less productive for various reasons! That we get into a “flow” less than 20% of the time every day and for the week.
What does that tell us? Well, Goleman’s book will attribute that to several things, but the overall goal is to achieve “focus” throughout the day. There are many reasons, in my opinion, why we generally don’t achieve the kind of focus we would like. Many people (like me) use stimulants like coffee, and some others use focus drugs provided by prescription. The bottom line is that it is a constant fight every day to “claim” your time to focus.
There will always be distractions, but it’s my belief that all of us (not just us but society) are trained to run around on a hamster wheel in chaos every day because that’s how we have been taught “to focus and get work done”. Granted, it’s going to happen, but I’m going to throw out to you a few tricks to make sure you achieve more focus and productivity in less time than you normally do!
- The calendar – Most of us are terrible at planning the week, month, quarter, and yes, a year ahead. As a result, we end up addressing “fires” and whatever is put in our path. Most of us don’t really have a calendar problem (although I don’t think we use it properly); we really have a prioritization problem. That is, we are easily swayed by events in the moment to carry us out of focus.
- The phone – Text, social media, and any other app constantly distract us. Try putting the phone in a drawer. Simply put it away. Break loose from it and see the difference. We are trained in our minds to constantly look.
- Email – Don’t look at email every minute. Every few hours is enough
- Talking to and asking questions of others – Stop! Nothing wrong with legal discussions, but it can’t be constant. Lawyers can’t simply ask their managers questions on the spur of the moment. Managers must put their foot down and say no! We will discuss at our assigned meetings!
- Write down the time you are spending during the day and what you are doing – Is it billable? Lack of focus? Have set hours where you force yourself every day to accomplish what you intend. If someone is bothering you or says Do you have a minute? Sometimes the answer is NO! We have to have private thinking and working time. We can not constantly interact. We need flow and focus, and the only way that is going to happen is if you limit other human beings from intruding!
- Set an agenda for specific goals each day, way ahead of time – Prepare your week on the weekend prior.
- Planning is great, but you have to get set in your mind that you mean business with these goals – Simply creating a great calendar will not do it. Your intentions have to be realized!
I really think if all of us turn off much of the “noise” throughout the day, we will be much happier and productive.
Always interested in a discussion…
Here is my summary of his book:
Alright, let’s dive into the fascinating world of attention and focus, as explored by Daniel Goleman. You know, it’s pretty crazy how much we’re bombarded with distractions these days, both from inside our own heads and from the constant stream of information coming at us. It’s like Nobel laureate Herbert Simon predicted way back in 1997—we’re living in an age of information overload that’s actually creating an “attention poverty.”
Think about it. We’re constantly juggling emails, notifications, social media, and a million other things, leaving us with little time to truly reflect, think deeply, or even communicate effectively. Instead, we’re “hopscotching” between tasks, multitasking our way to burnout, and ultimately, not excelling at anything. Goleman argues that we need to seriously prioritize focus and build up our attention spans, not just for personal growth, but for the sake of our planet, future generations, and the bigger picture. It’s not just about individual focus; it’s about fostering a collective awareness and responsibility.
Goleman brilliantly breaks down the neurobiology of attention, showing us how self-awareness is the key to sharpening our focus. He gives us practical tips to cultivate this awareness, no matter where we are in life. So, let’s unpack this a bit further, shall we?
Attention: It’s More Complicated Than You Think
We’re always told to “pay attention,” but it’s easier said than done, right? Our minds are like restless puppies, constantly flitting between selective attention and open awareness. The trick is understanding how to work with these natural tendencies, not against them.
Imagine starting a new project. You usually begin with a broad overview before narrowing your focus, right? The same principle applies to our attention. Open awareness is like a panoramic lens, allowing various stimuli to pass through our consciousness. Selective attention, on the other hand, is like a spotlight, allowing us to hone in on a specific stimulus. It’s this ability to consciously select an object of focus and sustain our attention that allows us to truly learn and master new skills.
When we’re distracted, our minds are filled with mental chatter, making it tough to retain information. Unfortunately, sharp focus isn’t an endless resource. It’s more like a narrow pipe than a stretchy balloon, meaning we can’t just switch it on whenever we want or maintain it forever.
But here’s the good news: open and spontaneous awareness is just as important! This panoramic perspective pulls us away from that laser-like focus, opening us up to broader thinking. When our minds are drifting, we become receptive to insights, breakthroughs, and innovative solutions. It’s like creating the perfect launching pad for deciding where to direct our focused attention.
We often dismiss this as mere “mind-wandering,” but it can actually lead us to the solutions we’re searching for. It can spark creativity and problem-solving. If you’re always trying to maintain strict cognitive control, you might struggle to tap into this creative mind-wandering. That could hinder self-reflection, social navigation, the generation of new ideas, and future planning. Interestingly, the neural systems involved in mind-wandering are often highly active just before a creative breakthrough.
Here’s a fun fact: adults with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) often excel at this kind of creative thinking. They display remarkable originality and are often more successful in creative endeavors than their non-ADHD counterparts. Maybe their “zoning out” is actually their superpower!
Open-mode attention also enhances our internal focus. We become more attuned to our feelings, sensations, and memories, gaining a panoramic awareness that’s absent when we’re narrowly focused on things like a shopping list. The optimal process is to remain open to possibilities and then consciously decide which insights to use, deliberately shifting from open awareness to narrow focus.
Mind-Wandering: Make It a Choice, Not a Default
Look, mind-wandering isn’t inherently bad, but it shouldn’t be the default state of our minds. The ideal scenario is finding a balance between focused attention and open awareness, deliberately choosing to shift into that open state rather than being yanked off task by distractions.
Our minds tend to wander most when we’re at work, on the computer, or commuting. And often, these thoughts lean towards the unpleasant, leading to stress, anxiety, and unhappiness. That’s why carving out free time to cultivate open awareness, what Goleman calls a “creative cocoon,” is so vital. We all need to find a space or allocate time to immerse ourselves in this cocoon, where we can have protected time for creative thinking.
Our capacity for focused attention has its limits. Stephen Kaplan’s attention restoration theory suggests that we need to take relaxing breaks in restful surroundings to rejuvenate our minds and restore our ability to focus. Surfing the Internet, playing video games, or answering emails doesn’t cut it. We need activities that truly engage our senses and quiet the internal chatter, like meditation.
Finding Your Equilibrium
The secret lies in balance, but our neural wiring can make this tricky. Albert Einstein famously said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
To understand the neurology behind these two types of attention, let’s think like cognitive scientists and consider “bottom-up” and “top-down” focus.
Total focus leads to complete engagement, where you’re unaware of your surroundings—a state also known as “flow.” Lack of focus, however, leads to disengagement, lack of motivation, and a sense of being overwhelmed. The key to maintaining full focus is managing the great neural divide, helping you enter that coveted state of flow.
We essentially have two minds at work: the “bottom-up” and the “top-down.” The bottom-up neural machinery of the lower brain is intuitive, impulse-driven, constantly operational, and the master of our habits and preconceived notions. The top-down, or neocortex, is the master of self-control. It handles planning, new behaviors, and manages the bottom-up impulses.
Finding balance takes effort and practice because the impulsive bottom-up brain loves to take control. The bottom-up functions of the brain react faster than the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex, i.e., the top-down mind, is geared towards safety, nutrition, and procreation. That’s why we’re more prone to impulsive behavior when we’re distracted or overwhelmed by information. In our tech-saturated world, with its endless distractions and cognitive overload, our self-control weakens, leading us to react rather than reflect, or mindlessly reach for that chocolate bar.
When bombarded by sensory and emotional overload, parts of our brain trigger neural hijacks. Messages are sent to both sides of the brain, and we have to wait for the left side to calm the right side down. Goleman points out that resilient people have up to 30 times more activation in the left prefrontal cortex area than those who are less resilient. The good news is that we can all strengthen the neural circuitry responsible for focus. Research shows that paying deliberate attention to our own attention spans is essential for achieving excellence.
From around age three, toddlers begin developing what’s known as executive attention. This is the ability to focus deliberately, ignore distractions, and halt impulses. This cognitive control is crucial for self-management and forms the core of willpower, which is the essence of self-regulation. Ultimately, success hinges on how we manage our lives, and this is apparent from a young age. Some things to consider!
