5 Small Changes to Supercharge Your Focus

Ali Abdaal
26 Mar 202414:35

Summary

TLDRThis video offers five evidence-based tips to enhance focus amidst the modern struggle of constant distractions. Tip one involves creating a 'ready to resume plan' to manage attention residue when switching tasks, as demonstrated by a study on task interruptions. Listening to 40 HZ music, as shown to improve concentration, is tip two. Decluttering workspaces, both physical and digital, is tip three, supported by a study linking clutter with procrastination. The '9020 rule', inspired by sleep cycles, suggests taking breaks every 90 minutes for peak performance. Lastly, single tasking and color-coding your calendar can help maintain focus. The video also promotes a free 7-Day Focus crash course for additional strategies.

Takeaways

  • πŸ“… Start with a 'Ready to Resume' Plan: Creating a plan of action before switching tasks can reduce attention residue and improve focus on the new task.
  • 🎢 Listen to 40 Hz Music: Research suggests that music at a 40 Hz frequency can enhance concentration and focus due to its alignment with brain wave patterns during focused tasks.
  • πŸ§˜β€β™‚οΈ Declutter Your Space: A clean and organized workspace can reduce distractions and the stress associated with clutter, leading to better focus and productivity.
  • πŸ›Œ Follow the 90-20 Rule: Align your work and rest periods with the natural 90-minute cycles of energy and focus, taking breaks to recharge and maintain peak performance.
  • 🎨 Color-Code Your Calendar: Organize your tasks by color-coding them in your calendar to promote single-tasking and reduce the cognitive load of switching between tasks.
  • 🚫 Avoid Multitasking: Multitasking can lead to attention residue, where the brain continues to process previous tasks, reducing the effectiveness of the current task.
  • 🎧 Try Binaural Beats: Listening to binaural beats, such as 40 Hz tones in each ear, can help improve focus by stimulating brain waves associated with concentration.
  • πŸ“š Read 'Feeling Good Productivity': The speaker recommends their own book, which includes strategies for maintaining focus and productivity.
  • 🀝 Skillshare for Learning: Skillshare is highlighted as a platform offering thousands of classes to improve various skills, including productivity and focus.
  • πŸ’‘ Experiment with Breaks: Personalize your work-break pattern by experimenting with different durations to find what best suits your focus and energy levels.
  • πŸŽ‰ Embrace the 'Admin Party': Turn mundane admin tasks into a fun, time-limited event to maintain focus on more important tasks and prevent distractions.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is about improving focus and providing actionable, evidence-based tips to enhance concentration and productivity.

  • What is the 'ready to resume plan' mentioned in the video?

    -The 'ready to resume plan' is a strategy where individuals create a plan of action indicating where they left off in a task before switching to another task, which helps them to resume the initial task more effectively.

  • How does attention residue affect multitasking?

    -Attention residue refers to the phenomenon where part of your brain continues to think about the previous task even after switching to a new one, which can impair focus and reduce productivity when multitasking.

  • What is the significance of the study by Sophie Leroy mentioned in the video?

    -The study by Sophie Leroy is significant because it demonstrates that creating a 'ready to resume plan' can significantly improve performance on a secondary task after being interrupted, due to reduced attention residue.

  • What is the 'Hemingway trick' and how does it relate to focus?

    -The 'Hemingway trick' is a technique where writers stop in the middle of a sentence rather than at the end of a sentence or paragraph. This makes it easier to return to the writing task, as the 'ready to resume plan' is already in place.

  • What is the relationship between music frequency and focus as per the study conducted by the University of Toronto researchers?

    -The study found that listening to music at a 40 HZ frequency improved concentration compared to music at a 16 HZ frequency, possibly because the 40 HZ frequency aligns with the brain wave patterns when focused on mentally demanding tasks.

  • What are binaural beats and how do they relate to the study on music and focus?

    -Binaural beats are an auditory illusion where two different tones played into each ear create a third tone based on the difference between the two frequencies. The study suggests that listening to 40 HZ binaural beats through headphones can improve focus.

  • What is the concept of 'clutter' in relation to focus and productivity?

    -Clutter refers to an excessive amount of stuff or disorganization in one's environment, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed and distracted, thereby negatively affecting focus and productivity.

  • How does the '10-minute declutter' strategy help with focus?

    -The '10-minute declutter' strategy involves setting a timer for 10 minutes to clean and organize the physical and digital workspace before starting a focus session, which can help create a more conducive environment for concentration.

  • What is the '9020 rule' and how does it apply to maintaining focus throughout the day?

    -The '9020 rule' is based on the ultradian rhythm, suggesting that for every 90 minutes of focused work, one should take a 15 to 30-minute break to avoid mental fatigue and maintain productivity.

  • What is the 'fun admin party' and how does it relate to the concept of single-tasking?

    -The 'fun admin party' is a time-blocked session dedicated to tackling administrative tasks with a positive mindset, often involving upbeat music and a goal to complete as much as possible in a set time. It's a way to single-task and focus on one type of task at a time, rather than multitasking.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“± Distractions and the Importance of Focus

The paragraph begins with a personal anecdote about the struggle to start work due to distractions, such as replying to WhatsApp messages and getting sidetracked by YouTube. It highlights the modern challenge of maintaining focus in a world full of competing demands for our attention. The speaker introduces a three-part video series on improving focus and references a study by Sophie Leroy on the effects of interruptions, which suggests creating a 'ready to resume plan' to mitigate attention residue and improve performance when switching tasks. The 'Hemingway trick' is mentioned as a practical application of this strategy, where writers stop mid-sentence to make it easier to resume writing later.

05:00

🎡 The Impact of Music Frequency on Focus

This section discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto on the impact of music frequency on concentration. The study compared the effects of music at 16 HZ and 40 HZ frequencies on participants' focus. The results indicated that listening to 40 HZ music improved concentration due to its alignment with the brain wave patterns associated with focus and problem-solving. The concept of binaural beats is introduced as a method to achieve this frequency, which involves listening to two slightly different tones in each ear that the brain perceives as a third tone. The speaker also mentions a free 7-Day Focus crash course as a resource for additional strategies to improve focus.

10:00

🧹 The Influence of Clutter on Procrastination and Focus

The paragraph explores the relationship between physical clutter and procrastination through a study by Professor Joseph Ferrari. The study found a strong correlation between a cluttered environment and a tendency to procrastinate. It suggests that clutter creates open loops of unfinished tasks that distract the brain, whereas a cleaner workspace allows for better focus. The speaker recommends a '10-minute declutter' strategy before starting a focus session to create a more conducive environment for productivity. The concept of digital clutter is also addressed, emphasizing the importance of organizing digital spaces to improve focus.

⏱ The 90-20 Rule for Optimal Focus

This section introduces the '90-20 rule,' based on the ultradian rhythms discovered by sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman. The rule suggests that for every 90 minutes of focused work, one should take a 15 to 30-minute break to maintain high levels of alertness and focus. The speaker explains that the brain uses a significant amount of energy during focused work, which depletes quickly, and that taking breaks can help manage this energy expenditure. The speaker also shares personal preferences for break timings and encourages viewers to experiment with the 90-20 rule to find what works best for them.

πŸ“… Single Tasking and Color-Coding for Improved Focus

The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of single-tasking to reduce attention residue and improve focus. The speaker shares a personal strategy of color-coding tasks on a calendar to ensure blocks of time are dedicated to similar activities, which helps maintain focus. The concept of 'traction' is introduced as the opposite of distraction, highlighting the importance of having a clear intention for each time block. The speaker also mentions batching tasks and creating 'admin parties' as a way to manage administrative tasks without disrupting focus on more important work. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the three-part video series and an invitation to watch the upcoming videos on focus.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Focus

Focus refers to the ability to concentrate one's attention on a specific task or activity. In the video's theme, it is the central skill that the speaker aims to improve through various strategies. The script discusses how modern distractions impact focus and provides actionable tips to enhance it, such as creating a 'ready to resume plan' and using the '9020 rule'.

πŸ’‘WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a popular messaging application used for communication. In the script, it is mentioned as one of the distractions that can divert attention from work. The speaker recalls needing to reply to a WhatsApp message, which leads to noticing several other messages and subsequently opening YouTube, illustrating the ease with which one can get sidetracked.

πŸ’‘Attention residue

Attention residue is a psychological concept where the mind continues to process the previous task even after switching to a new one, leading to reduced efficiency. The video explains how creating a 'ready to resume plan' can mitigate this effect by allowing for a smoother transition back to the initial task, as demonstrated in the study by Sophie Leroy.

πŸ’‘Multitasking

Multitasking is the act of attempting to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. The video argues against multitasking, stating that it is not an effective strategy due to the presence of 'attention residue'. It suggests that concentrating on one task at a time is more beneficial for productivity and maintaining focus.

πŸ’‘Ready to resume plan

A 'ready to resume plan' is a strategy mentioned in the video to improve focus after interruptions. It involves creating a plan of action for resuming the initial task after switching to another task. The script cites a study where participants who made such plans performed better on a secondary task, showcasing the effectiveness of this method.

πŸ’‘Hemingway trick

The 'Hemingway trick' is a technique attributed to the writer Ernest Hemingway, where one stops writing in the middle of a sentence to make it easier to resume later. The video uses this as an example of creating a 'ready to resume plan', which helps in reducing attention residue and improving the ability to refocus on the task at hand.

πŸ’‘Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community mentioned in the script as the host of Thomas Frank's productivity course. The course is highlighted as a resource that can help viewers become more organized and better at managing tasks, which in turn supports improved focus by reducing distractions.

πŸ’‘Binaural beats

Binaural beats refer to an auditory illusion where two different tones played separately into each ear create a perceived third tone. The video discusses a study where listening to music with a 40 HZ frequency, delivered via binaural beats, improved concentration, suggesting that this type of music can enhance focus.

πŸ’‘Clutter

Clutter in the video refers to the physical and digital disarray that can distract from focused work. The script cites a study that links clutter with increased procrastination and stress. The speaker recommends decluttering both physical and digital spaces to create an environment conducive to focus.

πŸ’‘Ultradian rhythms

Ultradian rhythms are the body's natural cycles of energy and alertness that occur approximately every 90 minutes. The video introduces the '9020 rule' based on these rhythms, suggesting that taking breaks every 90 minutes of work can help maintain focus and productivity throughout the day.

πŸ’‘Single tasking

Single tasking is the practice of focusing on one task at a time, as opposed to multitasking. The video recommends this approach to minimize attention residue and improve focus. It suggests color-coding a calendar to batch similar tasks together, allowing for extended periods of deep work on a single task.

πŸ’‘Calendar

In the context of the video, a calendar is used as a tool for planning and organizing tasks to enhance focus. The speaker describes how color-coding tasks on a calendar can help with single tasking by grouping similar activities together, which aligns with the concept of batching tasks to maintain focus.

Highlights

The struggle with focus in a world full of distractions and the importance of improving this skill.

Introduction to a three-part series on focus, following up on common mistakes with actionable tips.

Tip 1: Creating a 'ready to resume' plan to manage attention residue and improve task-switching.

Sophie Leroy's 2018 study on the effects of interruptions and planning on focus.

The concept of 'attention residue' and its impact on multitasking and focus.

The 'Hemingway trick' for resuming tasks effectively after a break.

Thomas Frank's productivity course and its impact on focus through organization.

Skillshare as a platform for learning and its relation to the video's content.

Research on the impact of different music frequencies (16 Hz vs. 40 Hz) on focus and concentration.

The effectiveness of 40 Hz binaural beats for enhancing focus.

A free 7-Day Focus crash course for improving focus through evidence-based strategies.

The impact of physical workspace clutter on focus and procrastination tendencies.

The '10-minute declutter' strategy for improving workspace and focus.

The '9020 rule' based on ultradian rhythms for managing energy and focus throughout the day.

The benefits of single-tasking and batching similar tasks for better focus.

Color-coding the calendar as a method to implement single-tasking and improve focus.

The 'fun admin party' technique for managing administrative tasks without derailing focus.

Conclusion of the second video in the focus series and a preview of the upcoming tools for focus.

Transcripts

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it's 9:00 a.m. and I've just sat down to

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work I've got lots to do and I want to

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get going but first I remember I need to

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quickly reply to a WhatsApp message I

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open my phone and see that there are a

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whole bunch of other whatsapps that I

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need to reply to my heart sinks and

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instead of replying I find myself

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opening YouTube to avoid thinking about

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being a bad friend suddenly I've spent

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27 minutes watching as and gold talking

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about how World of Warcraft is dead in

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2024 my brain fills with guilt and

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frustration and I decide I need another

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break before I start working and maybe a

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third coffee for the day followed by a

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poop

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now this is the modern struggle the

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world today is constantly competing for

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our time and attention and the ability

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to focus has become even more difficult

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and for that reason it's even more

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important than ever so in the first

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video of this three-part series about

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Focus we talked about five mistakes

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people make when it comes to focusing

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but in this video we're going to be

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going through five actionable

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evidence-based tips that you can use to

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improve your focus all righty tip number

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one is to make a ready to resume plan

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now to understand what the hell this is

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and why we should do it we should look

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at this 2018 paper by Sophie Leroy this

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paper was published in the Journal of

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organization science and it looked at

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the effects of interruptions on our

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ability to focus the researchers got

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some people together in a lab and they

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got them to work on a word puzzle which

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is Task a and then after a while they

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interrupted them and asked them to

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review some resumes and select the best

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candidate for a job which was task B now

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where this gets interesting is that the

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researchers split the group into two one

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group was interrupted while they were

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doing task a and was immediately told to

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switch to task B but the second group

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was interrupted doing task a and before

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moving to task B B they were told to

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create a ready to resume plan I.E to

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make a plan of where they were during

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task a the word puzzle and what they

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were planning to do when they got back

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to it now when the researchers measured

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the group's performance on task B the

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resume task they found something pretty

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interesting they found that the second

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group the ones who had made the ready to

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resume plan performed significantly

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better on the second task okay so this

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might be a little bit confusing to

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follow but basically what's happening is

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that the group that made this plan of

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action this ready to resume plan did

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better on the second task probably

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because they had less attention res now

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attention residue is this idea in the

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research and psychology that's been

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around for a while where basically if

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you're focusing on one thing and then

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you switch to another there is part of

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your brain part of your attention that's

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still thinking about the previous thing

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that you were doing this is part of the

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reason why multitasking and trying to do

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lots of things in one go is a terrible

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idea because every time you switch task

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part of your brain is still on the

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previous task and so you're really like

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nerfing yourself by not allowing your

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entire brain to be focused on the thing

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you actually care about but the key

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point of this study is that if you are

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going to switch tasks to something else

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you want to create a bit of a plan of

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action so that you can resume the first

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task initially and this is actually a

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thing that Writers Do quite a lot and

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it's called the Hemingway trick and this

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obviously came from the writer earns

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Hemingway but the idea is that when

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you're writing you want to stop in the

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middle of the sentence never stop your

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writing at the end of the sentence or at

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the end of a paragraph you want to sort

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of stop in the middle because when you

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stop in the middle the idea is that it

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becomes much easier to return to the

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thing that you were doing because you

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have stopped in the middle of the

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sentence and I used to use this trick

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very extensively when writing my own

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book feelg good productivity with which

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if you haven't checked out you should

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link down below and if you have I would

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love a review cuz reviews are nice but I

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used to use this trick all the time when

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I was working on the book and I really

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had to focus for hours and hours and

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hours on end but I also wanted to take

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breaks and I also might need to kind of

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check a slack message or hop onto a team

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meeting I would always make a point to

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stop in the middle of the sentence or in

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the middle of the paragraph rather than

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at the end to be able to get back into

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the focus mode so tangible actionable

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takeaway when you are doing something

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and you want to do something else and

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get back to the thing create yourself a

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ready to resume plan or find a way to

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whatever your work is for you to stop in

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the middle of the sentence so that the

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ready to resume plan is basically

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already created for you now focus is a

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skill that I've been trying to master

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for many years now but one thing that

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actually helped me and I watched it a

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few years ago was Thomas Frank's course

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on productivity and this was kind of fun

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because I watched Thomas Frank's course

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and then we started talking and then he

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became a friend and then we met in real

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life as well and there's actually a

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video on my second Channel which is like

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an interview with Thomas Frank which is

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super cool anyway in that course he goes

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through task management getting better

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at email and all the things that mean

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you're more organized which frees up

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your time to focus on the most important

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things now Thomas's course is hosted on

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skillshare who are very kindly

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sponsoring this video in case you

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haven't heard by now skillshare is the

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largest online learning community for

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creatives with thousands of classes led

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by industry Pros across film

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illustration design freelance and so

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much more and I've personally been

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teaching on skillshare since 2019 and so

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I've got around 10 classes on there

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myself all of which are completely free

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to watch during the free trial so you

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can check them out to your heart's

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content but In fairness sometimes with

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so much stuff it can be overwhelming to

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know where to start and so skillshare

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have designed learning paths as well to

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help you go from beginner to Pro in as

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short a time as possible if you're

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interested you can check out my own

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learning path which includes four

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classes all about productivity which

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I've made which will help you do more of

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what matters to you so if you're

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interested in checking out any of those

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classes or anything else that skillshare

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has to offer then check out the link in

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the video description and the first 500

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people to use my link will get a

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one-month free trial to skillshare so

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thank you so much skill Chef sponsoring

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this

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video okay so does listening to certain

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types of music affect your ability to

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focus well this is what two researchers

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at the University of Toronto wanted to

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find out and so in 2020 they decided to

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test whether the music at two different

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frequencies could help improve our

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attention now this is an example of

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Music at a 16 HZ

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frequency and this is an example of

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Music at 40 HZ

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frequency and the point of their study

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was to test is there a difference

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between how much you focus based on what

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frequency of Music you're listening to

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and so they took a group of people as

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researchers tend to do and they

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separated them into two groups group a

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and group Group B group a listened to 40

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HZ music while working for a day and

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then 16 HZ music on the second day Group

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B did the same thing but in Reverse so

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they had 16 Herz on day one and then 40

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HZ on day two and with both groups

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weirdly they found that their

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concentration was better on the 40 HZ

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day compared to the 16 HZ day now

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apparently the reason for this is that

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when our brain is doing stuff that needs

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more mental effort like problem solving

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or remembering things it generally has a

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brain wave pattern between 25 and 100

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Herz but the 40 HZ frequ frequency is

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particularly good for extra focus and

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concentration because these are

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allegedly the waves that our brain

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produces when we're focused and doing

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these more difficult tasks but for this

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to work you actually have to be wearing

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headphones because to create that 40 HZ

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frequency these beads actually play two

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different tones each with slightly

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different frequencies into each ear and

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your brain hears a third tone based on

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the differences between these two

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frequencies and this is something called

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binaural beats which is a phrase you

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might be familiar with if you're

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interested in this experiment to help

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improve your focus see what it's like to

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put on headphones and listen to 40 HZ

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binaural beats which you find on YouTube

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and on Spotify and a bunch of other

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places and see if these things actually

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help you focus better by the way if you

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are enjoying this video then you might

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like to check out my completely free

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7-Day Focus crash course it's completely

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free and it's a series of seven emails

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that I'll send you each day that each

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have some evidence-based principles

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strategies and tools that you can use to

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improve your focus as well and the

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reason we've put that together is

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because whenever I pull the audience and

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ask like what are you guys struggling

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with focus and like consistency seems to

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be the the highest thing on that list

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basically all the time and so we thought

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you know what let's just turn this into

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a bit of an email course cuz there is so

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much to share and so many strategies

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that are really helpful when it comes to

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focus which are sort of outside the

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scope of this three-part video series

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even though we are doing a three-part

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video series about it so if you're

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interested it's completely free you can

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sign up you can unsubscribe whenever you

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want head over to focus crashcourse

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tocom or hit the link in the video

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description okay this is a fun one let's

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play a little game I'm going to show you

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two different workspaces and I want you

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to have a guess as to which workspace is

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going to improve your ability to focus

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this is round one which of these

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workspaces do you think is going to make

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it easier to focus this is round two

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same question and finally this is round

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three now here's the question which of

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these sorts of workspaces is your own

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desk more similar to do you have like I

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sometimes do random crap absolutely

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everywhere thrown about all over the

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place or do you have a little bit more

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of a vibby cleaner nice minimalist setup

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now intuitively we should hopefully feel

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that a cleaner tidier workspace is

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actually going to help us Focus but is

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this actually true well conveniently

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that is what Professor Joseph Ferrari

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decided to study in a paper called

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procrastinators and clutter now this is

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a really fun study cuz what they did is

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that they surveyed around 350 people to

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measure their tendency to procrastinate

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but they also asked them to fill out a

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survey called the Clutter quality of

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life scale which is apparently a thing

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and this scale basically asks them a

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bunch of questions about how cluttered

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and disorganized their life is and tries

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to measure the negative impact of that

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clutter and disorganization now a I

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think that's just interesting generally

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because it does actually show that the

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more clutter you have in your life the

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more chaotic and stress you generally

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tend to feel but the study also found

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that there was a strong relationship

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between clutter I.E having too much

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stuff and feeling overwhelmed by it and

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our tendency to procrastinate now the

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study doesn't go into reasons why but

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like if we were to just speculate a it's

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intuitively obvious that that's probably

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going to be the case and B you know if

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we imagine our peripheral vision if

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there's like loads of stuff it's going

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to create lots of these open Loops of

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like oh I should put that away I should

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pay that bill I should do that thing uh

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whereas if the space is a little bit

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more clean a little bit more minimalist

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and we're just focused on one thing it

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allows a brain to focus on the thing and

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the whole point of this three-part video

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series is to help us Focus now this

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concept of clutter doesn't just apply to

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our physical space but but it also

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probably applies to a digital space as

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well like if you're one of those people

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who has about 10,000 tabs open on Chrome

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at the same time right clicking on a

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particular Tab and clicking close all

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other tabs is an incredibly valuable

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strategy for just massively improving

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your focus because now your brain's not

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worried about all of that other stuff

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that you might have missed similarly if

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your desktop is very cluttered and you

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have hundreds of files on there you can

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just right click click clean up or

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arrange or arrange by Stacks whatever

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the system is and now you have a nice

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cutter free desktop which is just super

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super nice and so the third strategy for

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improving our focus is the 10 minute

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declutter if you are struggling with

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Focus before you start a focus session

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just set a timer for 10 minutes and just

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take 10 minutes or 7 minutes or however

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long you want to just declutter your

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workspace physically and digitally it

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does not take very long but if you get

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into the habit of doing this thing every

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day or every few days you will end up

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with a space that's way cleaner way

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nicer and way more fun and enjoyable to

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actually work in which is going to help

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improve your ability to focus all right

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next we have tip number four which is

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the 9020 rule so over 50 years ago sleep

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researcher Nathaniel kman discovered

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that we move through five stages of

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sleep from light to deep and then out

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again in roughly 90minut periods at

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night what's less well known than that

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is that kman also found that our bodies

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operate in these similar 90-minute

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rhythms throughout the day as well not

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just when we're sleeping so when we're

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awake we tend to move from high to low

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alertness every 90 minutes or

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thereabouts at the start of the day

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we're generally full of energy and we

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have lots of focus our brain and bodies

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then start to burn through our stores of

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energy and in about 90 minutes or so we

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enter our ult tra and Peak and we feel

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invincible and super in the flow but

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while we're feeling Invincible all of

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these waste products from our mental and

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physical activity all of these are

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building up in our system and in around

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90 minutes is we start to feel tired and

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distracted and start losing focus and

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this is what's called the ultradian

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trough now this science of ultradian

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Cycles is super interesting and Powerful

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for anyone who wants to do deep work in

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a very focused way now because the brain

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uses up more energy than any other organ

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in the body it takes about 20% of our

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total energy intake the energy that we

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have in our brain is used quickly when

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we're focused and when we're working at

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an optimal level and that gets us to the

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tip which is the 9020 rule which is that

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for every 90 minutes is of work that

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you're doing you may want to take a 15

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to 30 minute break for me personally the

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way I think about this is that if I've

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been working for 45 minutes and start to

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feel myself losing focus I know I

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probably need at least a 10-minute break

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and if I've been deeply in the flow and

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I found myself working for 90 whole

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minutes I will give myself a 20-minute

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break these are experiments that you can

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apply to your own life and you can see

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does this work for me or does this not

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work for me there are people who swear

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by the p method which is 25 minutes of

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work 5 minutes of rest I personally

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found having run the experiment multiple

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times that is not a thing that

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particularly works for me I much prefer

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451 or 9020 you're putting your foot on

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the gas when you're when you're focusing

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and then you're taking it off when

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you're taking a break and you're kind of

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running with this Rhythm throughout the

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day and it's up to you to run the

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experiment on your life to figure out

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what are the ideal timings for yourself

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okay now we come to tip number five so

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you know how we talked about this idea

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of attention residue the idea that if

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you do one thing and then you move to

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another thing you're going to have some

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attentional residue that's sort of Left

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Behind kind on the first task so that

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you're less likely to be able to focus

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on the second task basically the

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solution to this is single tasking it's

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in a work session or in a focus session

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you are hopefully ideally just doing one

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thing and one way you can implement this

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into your daily life is to color code

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your calendar now hopefully you're

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following your calendar and living life

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by a calendar because actually creating

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an intention we talked about this in the

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last video creating an intention for

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what you want to do in a particular time

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block is one of the most reliable ways

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to actually be able to focus because the

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opposite of distraction is traction and

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if you don't know what you're doing you

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have nothing to get distracted from all

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of this stuff is in near E's amazing

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book indestructible which is about the

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science of focus and how to focus better

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so for example when I had lots to do I

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was running the business and also

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working on my book I knew that I

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couldn't just do like half an hour of

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book stuff and then switch to emails and

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slack and then the meeting and then

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another half an hour of book stuff and

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like when my calendar was scattered in

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that way I it was really really hard to

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focus whereas what I found was that when

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I batched similar tasks so for example

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in the morning 9 till 1200 would be my

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writing block I would color code that in

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Blue on the calendar for example then

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12:00 to 1 would be lunchtime then 1 to

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1:30 would be like a little admin block

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for like checking messages and emails

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and all that kind of crap and then maybe

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you've got a meeting 1:30 to 2:30 and

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that's fine and then I do some work on

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YouTube videos which was another type of

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color block because it's a different

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sort of skill to writing and so I would

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color code that in green for example and

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so when I'm looking at my calendar for

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the week I want to make sure that it

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looks like there are lots of big chunks

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that are all the same color rather than

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kind of looking like a rainbow

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Kaleidoscope of like different colors

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everywhere that ensures that you're at

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least doing that thing where you're

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single tasking and focusing on one type

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of task at a given time and again just

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as a bonus tip the experiment that I

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found that works best for me for this is

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that I try and make it so that most of

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my time is deep work time focused on a

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single task but obviously we all have

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random admin and random crap that comes

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up that we have to do in my to-do list I

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make a list of all of the random admin

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that I need to do and I gather that list

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and when it gets to a critical mass I

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will give myself a Time block of 30

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minutes or 45 minutes that I call my fun

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admin party which kind of just tricks my

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brain into thinking it's fun which is

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like the whole philosophy of f good

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productivity to an extent but it tricks

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my brain into thinking it's fun and it

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means in that 5minute block my only goal

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is to just bash through as much admin as

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I possibly can and I generally do it in

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a coffee shop I generally have upbeat

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music in the background on my headphones

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and it's sort of I'm trying to turn it

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into a bit of a party because I know

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that like if I tried doing those little

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tiny boring admin things throughout the

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day it would just derail my focus in all

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of the other more important areas of

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life so this was video number two in our

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three-part video series about how to

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focus if you missed it that is video

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number one which is about five mistakes

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that might be ruining your focus and

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over there is video number three which

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is going to be a handful of tools that I

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personally find super helpful to improve

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my focus as well so thank you so much

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for watching have a great day and I'll

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see you in the next video bye-bye

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Related Tags
Productivity TipsFocus TechniquesTime ManagementHemingway TrickTask SwitchingAttention ResidueBinaural BeatsWorkspace OrganizationUltradian RhythmsSingle Tasking