“Focus on one task at a time, without distractions.”
ZTD focuses on completing your tasks one at a time, excluding everything else. Avoid multi-tasking and don’t allow interruptions.
How to focus on important things
Here are some tips to help you focus and achieve your goals:
Choose a Big Rock
First of all, choose a task (preferably one of your MITs) and decide to work on it until it’s completed or for a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes).
Isolate yourself
Before starting, eliminate every distraction. Close your email, turn off your smartphone (or put it in airplane mode), disconnect from the Internet if you can (or at least close browser tabs that aren’t functional to the task at hand), clear clutter from your desk and anything that might interrupt you.
Focus on time
Set a timer if you want or anyway focus on the task for as long as possible. Don’t allow yourself any distractions.
Manage interruptions
If you get interrupted, write down any request or input in your inbox and return to your task. Avoid multitasking.
Resist internal distractions
If you feel the urge to check your email or switch to another task, stop. Take a deep breath. Return to the task at hand.
Manage the inevitable
There are occasions when an interruption is so urgent that it cannot be set aside until you’ve completed the task. In that case, note the point where you stopped, gather all the documents and notes for that task, and set them aside (perhaps in a To Do or Project folder).
Relax
Take some nice deep breaths, stretch, take a break from time to time. Enjoy life. Go out and appreciate nature. Stay healthy.
Celebrate results
Ah! When you’re done, congratulate yourself! Reward yourself with a look at your email or your favorite blogs, but only for 10 minutes, then proceed with the next task. Avoid getting distracted: it’s very easy to lose track of time and spend hours online wandering from site to site.
How to overcome resistance (how to trick procrastination)
Small steps
Tell yourself you only need to work for 5 minutes. A small amount of work is less difficult to face.
Just start
Once you start, it’s easy to keep going. So, tell yourself you just need to begin.
Reward yourself
Don’t allow yourself to check email (or any other activity that works for you as a reward, something you do every day) if you haven’t first dedicated at least 10 minutes (or 15 or 20, it doesn’t matter) to the task. Set a timer.
Cultivate enthusiasm for the task
This is, in fact, advice that works for any habit. If you’re enthusiastic about doing something, you won’t hesitate to do it. If you really can’t find anything stimulating, consider whether that task is really so important: if it’s not, find a way to avoid it. Sometimes eliminating (or delegating or delaying) a task is the best option.
Stop focusing on negative aspects
Maybe you’re focusing on how difficult something is or on obstacles. Try instead to look at the positive aspects.
Commit publicly
If your problem is motivation, commit to making some progress on your goal or project today, or every day this week: tell family and friends, talk about it on your social media.
Deep Work Techniques
The concept of “Deep Work”, developed by Cal Newport, aligns perfectly with the “Do” habit of ZTD:
- Block time - Create blocks dedicated to deep work in your calendar
- Create a ritual - Establish a protocol for entering deep work
- Measure depth - Track the amount of deep work you’re able to do
- Be inaccessible - During deep work sessions, make yourself unreachable
Remember: the ability to focus deeply is a skill that develops with practice. The more you practice, the better you’ll become.
