READY, AIM, FIRE.
Ready, Aim, Fire…
In this post, I want to discuss the importance of focus and how it can make all the difference between success and failure, between new ideas and eureka moments instead of the same old thought patterns.
Several terms have been coined over the last number of years that express the power of focus, from being in the zone to deep work. Deep work is all about creating space and removing distractions, and losing the idea of multitasking. When we focus on one thing for a period of time, we will produce more. This could be a time block of 3-4 hours each morning when you focus on the most important thing on your priority list.
Neuroscientists have found that when we engage in intense work periods, it causes the myelin to develop in key areas in the brain. Myelin is a white tissue that forms around neurons and allows those neurons to fire quicker and cleaner. When we focus and engage in deep work, we upgrade our brains to be even more productive. This is often when the eureka / light bulbs moments come. Cal Newport explains what deep work is in the following way.
“Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capacities to their limit.”
We can use the following framework to practise deep work as suggested by Cal Newport.
Deep work is an ability that must be trained.
Embrace boredom.
Productive meditation. (go for a problem-solving walk)
Interval training - set a timer, then have a break. As you increase the timer, the better you become.
Deep work is an ability that must be supported.
Fixed time - monk mode.
Fixed habit - sand walks that trigger the idea I am now ready for deep work.
Deep work is an ability that must be managed.
This means that we must be intentional to make this space and time work for us.
Dedicated Space
“Your ritual needs to specify a location for your deep work efforts. This location can be as simple as your normal office with the door shut and desk cleaned off (a colleague of mine likes to put a hotel‐style “do not disturb” sign on his office door when he’s tackling something difficult). If it’s possible to identify a location used only for depth—for instance, a conference room or quiet library—the positive effect can be even greater.”
Exact end time
“Give yourself a specific time frame to keep the session a discrete challenge and not an open‐ended slog.” By establishing a clear end time for each deep work session, you give yourself permission to focus intensely and experience discomfort because you know precisely when the discomfort will end.
Easy starting sequence
“Your ritual needs rules and processes to keep your efforts structured. Without this structure, you’ll have to mentally litigate again and again what you should and should not be doing during these sessions and keep trying to assess whether you’re working sufficiently hard. These are unnecessary drains on your willpower reserves.”
Power‐ups
“Your ritual needs to ensure your brain gets the support it needs to keep operating at a high level of depth. For example, the ritual might specify that you start with a cup of good coffee, or make sure you have access to enough food of the right type to maintain energy or integrate light exercise such as walking to help keep the mind clear.” ‐ Cal Newport.
Inbuilt in our human nature is the desire to be focused rather than distracted, have a target to focus on, aim, and hit that target. When we do so, it helps us to feel that we have won and accomplished something great. We can see this in a fun way in several airports around the world.
A fly for focus
In several airports worldwide like JFK in New York and Schiphol in Amsterdam, they have introduced a fly etched in the corner of the men’s urinal. Why? By simply adding a fly, men chose to aim at that target and cause less spillage, saving the airports money as less cleaning is needed. Dutch maintenance man Jos Van Bedoff introduced the idea as he was tired of cleaning up so much mess. A simple fly on the urinal causes 80% less spillage. How about that!
Berenbaum, the entomologist, explains it does not need to be a fly. More than a hundred years ago in Britain, bathroom bowls also sported insect images, she says. Back then, however, the favoured target was not a fly but a bee. And bees have stingers. It seems that men in the 1890s were willing to take more imaginative risks when peeing.
Every time I hear this, I laugh as I know from experience that I will always aim at that target and feel good when I hit it.
“There is a deep-seated instinct to aim at targets,” and having a fly to aim at reduces what she politely calls “human spillage”
Although this is a light-hearted approach, we must still consider that when we have a clear focus, a target to aim for, we are more likely to hit that target. Whether you’re in the zone in the gym, sitting at your desk in deep work, at the men’s urinal aiming at a fly. They all point to the same thing, the need for clear focus in our lives.
Wrapping Up
Chose a clear target, aim and fire.
Set a time when you will do your best work. (deep work)
Don’t let distractions rule your life.
My suggestion will also be to create a non-phone day or morning if that seems too hard when you will keep your phone turned off and let your brain do the work it is capable of doing.
It is not without reason that those who build algorithms to get our attention make sure they leave their phones at the door when they come in and have a strict no social media rule for their children as they are aware of how powerful these technologies can be.
Remember, your best work is ahead of you!
Thanks for reading.
Question
Do You Want To Pick My Brains?
I have been in a leadership role for 20+ years. Let me know if I can help you in any way in your leadership journey.
