Focus as a Competitive Advantage

Focus is a competitive advantage.

But in a noisy world, it is increasingly difficult to find.

5 tactics for finding focus in your career, startup, or life:

#1 - Eliminate Low-Value Decisions

Mark Zuckerberg is famous for having only one outfit in his closet.

While an extreme example, there is a lesson here: Eliminate decisions that require energy but do not create commensurate value.

Redeploy that energy into high-value decisions.

#2 - Sprint Then Rest

The human mind is not designed to be on at all times.

It needs rest.

Work in short blocks (1-2 hours).

You can schedule the blocks - I call it "deep work" on my calendar - or leave yourself more flexibility.

Use biology to your advantage: sprint then rest.

#3 - Noise Cancellation

The world is noisy. We are constantly being hit by stimuli competing for our attention.

Learn to tune out and zone in.

Noise-canceling headphones can be an unimaginably helpful tool.

Find your "in the zone" soundtrack and play it on repeat.

#4 - Sleep Tight

It may seem contrarian in the hustle culture era, but deep, restful sleep is critical to finding focus.

I am a culprit. I used to say I would "sleep when I was dead" - I've changed my mind.

Better sleep is perhaps the single greatest unlock for your performance.

#5 - Train Your Mind

We train our bodies, why not our minds?

Practice meditation - start with 5 minutes a day and build up from there. There are plenty of great apps to help you get started.

You'll find yourself better able to process daily stressors and focus on the task at hand.

These are 5 tactics for finding focus. What are some others you would add to the list?

Additionally, here are a few high ROI tools and resources related to these tactics that I have personally found useful:

For better sleep and performance: White Noise Maker & Athletic Greens

For a powerful mind: Meditation App

For tuning out the noise: Noise Canceling Headphones

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Until next time, stay curious, friends!

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