5 Small Changes to Supercharge Your Focus

Summary

This 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

• 📅 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.
• 🧘‍♂️ Declutter Your Space: A clean and organized workspace can reduce distractions and the stress associated with clutter, leading to better focus and productivity.
• 🛌 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.
• 📚 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.
• 💡 Experiment with Breaks: Personalize your work-break pattern by experimenting with different durations to find what best suits your focus and energy levels.
• 🎉 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

📱 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.

📅 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.

Keywords

💡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'.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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.

💡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

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

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

get going but first I remember I need to

quickly reply to a WhatsApp message I

open my phone and see that there are a

whole bunch of other whatsapps that I

need to reply to my heart sinks and

instead of replying I find myself

opening YouTube to avoid thinking about

being a bad friend suddenly I've spent

27 minutes watching as and gold talking

about how World of Warcraft is dead in

2024 my brain fills with guilt and

frustration and I decide I need another

break before I start working and maybe a

third coffee for the day followed by a

poop

now this is the modern struggle the

world today is constantly competing for

our time and attention and the ability

to focus has become even more difficult

and for that reason it's even more

important than ever so in the first

video of this three-part series about

Focus we talked about five mistakes

people make when it comes to focusing

but in this video we're going to be

going through five actionable

evidence-based tips that you can use to

improve your focus all righty tip number

one is to make a ready to resume plan

now to understand what the hell this is

and why we should do it we should look

at this 2018 paper by Sophie Leroy this

paper was published in the Journal of

organization science and it looked at

the effects of interruptions on our

ability to focus the researchers got

some people together in a lab and they

got them to work on a word puzzle which

is Task a and then after a while they

interrupted them and asked them to

review some resumes and select the best

candidate for a job which was task B now

where this gets interesting is that the

researchers split the group into two one

group was interrupted while they were

doing task a and was immediately told to

switch to task B but the second group

was interrupted doing task a and before

moving to task B B they were told to

create a ready to resume plan I.E to

make a plan of where they were during

task a the word puzzle and what they

were planning to do when they got back

to it now when the researchers measured

the group's performance on task B the

resume task they found something pretty

interesting they found that the second

group the ones who had made the ready to

resume plan performed significantly

better on the second task okay so this

might be a little bit confusing to

follow but basically what's happening is

that the group that made this plan of

action this ready to resume plan did

better on the second task probably

because they had less attention res now

attention residue is this idea in the

research and psychology that's been

around for a while where basically if

you're focusing on one thing and then

you switch to another there is part of

your brain part of your attention that's

still thinking about the previous thing

that you were doing this is part of the

reason why multitasking and trying to do

lots of things in one go is a terrible

idea because every time you switch task

part of your brain is still on the

previous task and so you're really like

nerfing yourself by not allowing your

entire brain to be focused on the thing

you actually care about but the key

point of this study is that if you are

going to switch tasks to something else

you want to create a bit of a plan of

action so that you can resume the first

task initially and this is actually a

thing that Writers Do quite a lot and

it's called the Hemingway trick and this

obviously came from the writer earns

Hemingway but the idea is that when

you're writing you want to stop in the

middle of the sentence never stop your

writing at the end of the sentence or at

the end of a paragraph you want to sort

of stop in the middle because when you

stop in the middle the idea is that it

becomes much easier to return to the

thing that you were doing because you

have stopped in the middle of the

sentence and I used to use this trick

very extensively when writing my own

book feelg good productivity with which

if you haven't checked out you should

link down below and if you have I would

love a review cuz reviews are nice but I

used to use this trick all the time when

I was working on the book and I really

had to focus for hours and hours and

hours on end but I also wanted to take

breaks and I also might need to kind of

check a slack message or hop onto a team

meeting I would always make a point to

stop in the middle of the sentence or in

the middle of the paragraph rather than

at the end to be able to get back into

the focus mode so tangible actionable

takeaway when you are doing something

and you want to do something else and

get back to the thing create yourself a

ready to resume plan or find a way to

whatever your work is for you to stop in

the middle of the sentence so that the

ready to resume plan is basically

already created for you now focus is a

skill that I've been trying to master

for many years now but one thing that

actually helped me and I watched it a

few years ago was Thomas Frank's course

on productivity and this was kind of fun

because I watched Thomas Frank's course

and then we started talking and then he

became a friend and then we met in real

life as well and there's actually a

video on my second Channel which is like

an interview with Thomas Frank which is

super cool anyway in that course he goes

through task management getting better

at email and all the things that mean

you're more organized which frees up

your time to focus on the most important

things now Thomas's course is hosted on

skillshare who are very kindly

sponsoring this video in case you

haven't heard by now skillshare is the

largest online learning community for

creatives with thousands of classes led

by industry Pros across film

illustration design freelance and so

much more and I've personally been

teaching on skillshare since 2019 and so

I've got around 10 classes on there

myself all of which are completely free

to watch during the free trial so you

can check them out to your heart's

content but In fairness sometimes with

so much stuff it can be overwhelming to

know where to start and so skillshare

have designed learning paths as well to

help you go from beginner to Pro in as

short a time as possible if you're

interested you can check out my own

learning path which includes four

classes all about productivity which

I've made which will help you do more of

what matters to you so if you're

interested in checking out any of those

classes or anything else that skillshare

has to offer then check out the link in

the video description and the first 500

people to use my link will get a

one-month free trial to skillshare so

thank you so much skill Chef sponsoring

this

video okay so does listening to certain

types of music affect your ability to

focus well this is what two researchers

at the University of Toronto wanted to

find out and so in 2020 they decided to

test whether the music at two different

frequencies could help improve our

attention now this is an example of

Music at a 16 HZ

frequency and this is an example of

Music at 40 HZ

frequency and the point of their study

was to test is there a difference

between how much you focus based on what

frequency of Music you're listening to

and so they took a group of people as

researchers tend to do and they

separated them into two groups group a

and group Group B group a listened to 40

HZ music while working for a day and

then 16 HZ music on the second day Group

B did the same thing but in Reverse so

they had 16 Herz on day one and then 40

HZ on day two and with both groups

weirdly they found that their

concentration was better on the 40 HZ

day compared to the 16 HZ day now

apparently the reason for this is that

when our brain is doing stuff that needs

more mental effort like problem solving

or remembering things it generally has a

brain wave pattern between 25 and 100

Herz but the 40 HZ frequ frequency is

particularly good for extra focus and

concentration because these are

allegedly the waves that our brain

produces when we're focused and doing

these more difficult tasks but for this

to work you actually have to be wearing

headphones because to create that 40 HZ

frequency these beads actually play two

different tones each with slightly

different frequencies into each ear and

your brain hears a third tone based on

the differences between these two

frequencies and this is something called

binaural beats which is a phrase you

might be familiar with if you're

interested in this experiment to help

improve your focus see what it's like to

put on headphones and listen to 40 HZ

binaural beats which you find on YouTube

and on Spotify and a bunch of other

places and see if these things actually

help you focus better by the way if you

are enjoying this video then you might

like to check out my completely free

7-Day Focus crash course it's completely

free and it's a series of seven emails

that I'll send you each day that each

have some evidence-based principles

strategies and tools that you can use to

improve your focus as well and the

reason we've put that together is

because whenever I pull the audience and

ask like what are you guys struggling

with focus and like consistency seems to

be the the highest thing on that list

basically all the time and so we thought

you know what let's just turn this into

a bit of an email course cuz there is so

much to share and so many strategies

that are really helpful when it comes to

focus which are sort of outside the

scope of this three-part video series

even though we are doing a three-part

video series about it so if you're

interested it's completely free you can

sign up you can unsubscribe whenever you

want head over to focus crashcourse

tocom or hit the link in the video

description okay this is a fun one let's

play a little game I'm going to show you

two different workspaces and I want you

to have a guess as to which workspace is

going to improve your ability to focus

this is round one which of these

workspaces do you think is going to make

it easier to focus this is round two

same question and finally this is round

three now here's the question which of

these sorts of workspaces is your own

desk more similar to do you have like I

sometimes do random crap absolutely

everywhere thrown about all over the

place or do you have a little bit more

of a vibby cleaner nice minimalist setup

now intuitively we should hopefully feel

that a cleaner tidier workspace is

actually going to help us Focus but is

this actually true well conveniently

that is what Professor Joseph Ferrari

decided to study in a paper called

procrastinators and clutter now this is

a really fun study cuz what they did is

that they surveyed around 350 people to

measure their tendency to procrastinate

but they also asked them to fill out a

survey called the Clutter quality of

life scale which is apparently a thing

and this scale basically asks them a

bunch of questions about how cluttered

and disorganized their life is and tries

to measure the negative impact of that

clutter and disorganization now a I

think that's just interesting generally

because it does actually show that the

more clutter you have in your life the

more chaotic and stress you generally

tend to feel but the study also found

that there was a strong relationship

between clutter I.E having too much

stuff and feeling overwhelmed by it and

our tendency to procrastinate now the

study doesn't go into reasons why but

like if we were to just speculate a it's

intuitively obvious that that's probably

going to be the case and B you know if

we imagine our peripheral vision if

there's like loads of stuff it's going

to create lots of these open Loops of

like oh I should put that away I should

pay that bill I should do that thing uh

whereas if the space is a little bit

more clean a little bit more minimalist

and we're just focused on one thing it

allows a brain to focus on the thing and

the whole point of this three-part video

series is to help us Focus now this

concept of clutter doesn't just apply to

our physical space but but it also

probably applies to a digital space as

well like if you're one of those people

who has about 10,000 tabs open on Chrome

at the same time right clicking on a

particular Tab and clicking close all

other tabs is an incredibly valuable

strategy for just massively improving

your focus because now your brain's not

worried about all of that other stuff

that you might have missed similarly if

your desktop is very cluttered and you

have hundreds of files on there you can

just right click click clean up or

arrange or arrange by Stacks whatever

the system is and now you have a nice

cutter free desktop which is just super

super nice and so the third strategy for

improving our focus is the 10 minute

declutter if you are struggling with

Focus before you start a focus session

just set a timer for 10 minutes and just

take 10 minutes or 7 minutes or however

long you want to just declutter your

workspace physically and digitally it

does not take very long but if you get

into the habit of doing this thing every

day or every few days you will end up

with a space that's way cleaner way

nicer and way more fun and enjoyable to

actually work in which is going to help

improve your ability to focus all right

next we have tip number four which is

the 9020 rule so over 50 years ago sleep

researcher Nathaniel kman discovered

that we move through five stages of

sleep from light to deep and then out

again in roughly 90minut periods at

night what's less well known than that

is that kman also found that our bodies

operate in these similar 90-minute

rhythms throughout the day as well not

just when we're sleeping so when we're

awake we tend to move from high to low

alertness every 90 minutes or

thereabouts at the start of the day

we're generally full of energy and we

have lots of focus our brain and bodies

then start to burn through our stores of

energy and in about 90 minutes or so we

enter our ult tra and Peak and we feel

invincible and super in the flow but

while we're feeling Invincible all of

these waste products from our mental and

physical activity all of these are

building up in our system and in around

90 minutes is we start to feel tired and

distracted and start losing focus and

this is what's called the ultradian

trough now this science of ultradian

Cycles is super interesting and Powerful

for anyone who wants to do deep work in

a very focused way now because the brain

uses up more energy than any other organ

in the body it takes about 20% of our

total energy intake the energy that we

have in our brain is used quickly when

we're focused and when we're working at

an optimal level and that gets us to the

tip which is the 9020 rule which is that

for every 90 minutes is of work that

you're doing you may want to take a 15

to 30 minute break for me personally the

way I think about this is that if I've

been working for 45 minutes and start to

feel myself losing focus I know I

probably need at least a 10-minute break

and if I've been deeply in the flow and

I found myself working for 90 whole

minutes I will give myself a 20-minute

break these are experiments that you can

apply to your own life and you can see

does this work for me or does this not

work for me there are people who swear

by the p method which is 25 minutes of

work 5 minutes of rest I personally

found having run the experiment multiple

times that is not a thing that

particularly works for me I much prefer

451 or 9020 you're putting your foot on

the gas when you're when you're focusing

and then you're taking it off when

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

running with this Rhythm throughout the

day and it's up to you to run the

experiment on your life to figure out

what are the ideal timings for yourself

okay now we come to tip number five so

you know how we talked about this idea

of attention residue the idea that if

you do one thing and then you move to

another thing you're going to have some

attentional residue that's sort of Left

Behind kind on the first task so that

you're less likely to be able to focus

on the second task basically the

solution to this is single tasking it's

in a work session or in a focus session

you are hopefully ideally just doing one

thing and one way you can implement this

into your daily life is to color code

your calendar now hopefully you're

following your calendar and living life

by a calendar because actually creating

an intention we talked about this in the

last video creating an intention for

what you want to do in a particular time

block is one of the most reliable ways

to actually be able to focus because the

opposite of distraction is traction and

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

have nothing to get distracted from all

of this stuff is in near E's amazing

book indestructible which is about the

science of focus and how to focus better

so for example when I had lots to do I

was running the business and also

working on my book I knew that I

couldn't just do like half an hour of

book stuff and then switch to emails and

slack and then the meeting and then

another half an hour of book stuff and

like when my calendar was scattered in

that way I it was really really hard to

focus whereas what I found was that when

I batched similar tasks so for example

in the morning 9 till 1200 would be my

writing block I would color code that in

Blue on the calendar for example then

12:00 to 1 would be lunchtime then 1 to

1:30 would be like a little admin block

for like checking messages and emails

and all that kind of crap and then maybe

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

that's fine and then I do some work on

YouTube videos which was another type of

color block because it's a different

sort of skill to writing and so I would

color code that in green for example and

so when I'm looking at my calendar for

the week I want to make sure that it

looks like there are lots of big chunks

that are all the same color rather than

kind of looking like a rainbow

Kaleidoscope of like different colors

everywhere that ensures that you're at

least doing that thing where you're

single tasking and focusing on one type

of task at a given time and again just

as a bonus tip the experiment that I

found that works best for me for this is

that I try and make it so that most of

my time is deep work time focused on a

single task but obviously we all have

random admin and random crap that comes

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

make a list of all of the random admin

that I need to do and I gather that list

and when it gets to a critical mass I

will give myself a Time block of 30

minutes or 45 minutes that I call my fun

admin party which kind of just tricks my

brain into thinking it's fun which is

like the whole philosophy of f good

productivity to an extent but it tricks

my brain into thinking it's fun and it

means in that 5minute block my only goal

is to just bash through as much admin as

I possibly can and I generally do it in

a coffee shop I generally have upbeat

music in the background on my headphones

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

into a bit of a party because I know

that like if I tried doing those little

tiny boring admin things throughout the

day it would just derail my focus in all

of the other more important areas of

life so this was video number two in our

three-part video series about how to

focus if you missed it that is video

number one which is about five mistakes

that might be ruining your focus and

over there is video number three which

is going to be a handful of tools that I

personally find super helpful to improve

my focus as well so thank you so much

for watching have a great day and I'll

see you in the next video bye-bye