Focus. Part 2

Create instant negative feedback for the old habit. Instead of having negative feedback be long-term for going online, you want some negative feedback instantly: make it a rule that you have to call someone and tell them you failed if you go online after a certain trigger, for example. There are lots of kinds of negative feedback -- maybe you'll have to log and blog your failures, or something like that.

Repeat the positive feedback cycle as often as possible for the new habit. Soon, after a few weeks, it'll become a new habit and the old one will be (mostly) licked. Repeat for the next trigger.

Starting small, with just one trigger at a time, is a good way to be successful.

5: focus rituals.

"My only ritual is to just sit down and write, write every day."

Augusten Burroughs.

Focus and creating are about more than just disconnecting. You can be connected and focus too, if you get into the habit of blocking out everything else and bringing your focus back to what's important.

One of the best ways of doing that is with what I like to call "Focus Rituals".

A ritual is a set of actions you repeat habitually -- you might have a pre-bed ritual or a religious ritual or a just-started-up-my-computer ritual. One of the powerful things about rituals is that we often give them a special importance: they can be almost spiritual (and sometimes actually spiritual, depending on the ritual). And when they become special, we are more mindful of them -- we don't just rush through them mindlessly.

Mindfully observing a ritual is important, especially when it comes to focus, because often we get distracted without realizing it. The distractions work because we're not paying attention. So when we pay attention to a ritual, it's much more conducive to focus, and then to creativity. Mindful attention to a ritual also helps keep it from become too rote or meaningless.

It's important to give importance to each ritual, so that you'll truly allow yourself to focus and not forget about the ritual when it's not convenient. For example, you might start each ritual with a couple of cleansing breaths, to bring yourself to the present, to clear your head of thoughts of other things, and to fully focus on the ritual itself.

Let's take a look at just a few Focus Rituals. Please note that this isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, nor am I suggesting you do all of these. It's a list of ideas -- you should try ones that seem best suited for your situation, and test them out to see what works best.

Morning quiet. You start your day in quiet, before the busy-ness of the world intrudes on your peace of mind. If you live with others, you might want to wake before they do. The key to enjoying this focus ritual is not going online. You can turn on the computer if you just want to write. You can have coffee or tea and read. You can meditate or do yoga or do a workout or go for a run. Or take a walk. Or sit quietly and do nothing. The key is to take advantage of this peaceful time to rest your mind and focus, however you like.

Start of day. Begin your work day by not checking email or any other distractions, but start a simple to-do list on paper or with a text file. On this blank to-do list, just list your three Most Important Tasks. Or if you like, just list the One Thing you really want to accomplish today. This helps you to focus on what's important. Even better: continue this focus ritual by starting immediately on the top task on this short list of Most Important Tasks. Single-task on this important task as long as you can -- ideally until it's done. Now you've started your day with focus, and you've already accomplished something great.

Refocus ritual. While the start of day ritual is great, there are lots of things that get in the way to distract you, to mess up your focus. So every hour or two, do a refocus ritual. This only takes a minute or two. You might start it by closing down your browser and maybe other open applications, and maybe even take a walk for a couple of minutes to clear your head and get your blood circulating. Then return to your list of Most Important Tasks and figure out what you need to accomplish next. Before you check email again or go back online, work on that important task for as long as you can. Repeat this refocus ritual throughout the day, to bring yourself back. It's also nice to take some nice deep breaths to focus yourself back on the present.

Alternate focus and rest. This is almost like intervals in exercise -- alternating between periods of hard exercise and rest works well because it allows you to do some pretty intense exercise, as long as you allow yourself some rest. Focus works much the same way -- if you give yourself built-in periods of rest, you can get some great periods of focus. There are many variations on this, but some ideas might include: 10 minutes of focus + 2 minutes of rest; 25 minutes of focus + 5 minutes of rest; 45 minutes of focus + 15 minutes of rest. You get the idea -- you'll need to experiment to find the length and mixture that works best for you. Some prefer short bursts and others like longer periods of undisturbed creativity.

Alternate two focuses. Instead of alternating between focus and rest, you could alternate between two different focuses. For example, you could work on two different projects at once, or study for two different cla.s.ses at once. I'd suggest not switching too rapidly, because there's a short period of adjustment each time you switch. But you could work for 10 minutes on one thing and then 10 on another, or stay focused on one as long as you are interested in it, then switch when your interest lags. The great thing about this method is that switching to a new project can help give your brain a rest from the other project, and it can keep you creating for much longer before getting distracted.

Communicate first, then blocks of focus. Set a timer and give yourself 45 minutes to do email, Twitter, Facebook IM, and any reading you would normally do. Then use an Internet blocker to block these distractions for a couple of hours (up to 3-4 hours if you like) while you focus on creating. Then another 45 minutes of communicating and reading, followed by another block of distraction-free focus.

End of day. At the end of each day, you might review what you did, think of what can be improved, remind yourself to disconnect for the rest of the evening, and think about what you'll focus on tomorrow. It's a good time to reflect on your day and your life in general.

Weekly focus rituals. While it's not necessary to do a complete weekly review of everything you're doing, have done and plan to do, it can be useful to schedule 10 minutes every week to quickly bring your work and life back into the right focus. I suggest you review your projects to make sure you're not letting them get out of hand; simplify your to-do list as much as possible; review the focus rituals you've been doing to see what's working and what isn't; and basically reflect on what you're doing with work and life and whether anything needs to change.

Other ideas. The rituals above are just some of the ideas I like best -- you should find the ritual that works best for you. There are an almost infinite number of possibilities. Just a few other ideas: taking 5 minutes every hour to refocus yourself; taking a walk every hour to get fresh air and get refreshed; yoga or meditating at the beginning of each day; running or other exercise after work; giving yourself a "focus and disconnected hour" in the morning and afternoon where you're disconnected and completely focused on creating; breathing and self-ma.s.sage techniques for relaxation and better focus.

section ii:.

clear distractions.

1: limiting the stream.

"Time is but the stream I go a-fis.h.i.+ng in."

Henry David Th.o.r.eau.

The stream of news, information, and messages we get these days is enough to drown us. It's staggering in its volume.

It's a wonder anyone can find any focus with an information stream like that.

the stream of distractions.

The more connected a person becomes on the Internet, the more distractions they face in their day. Just a couple decades ago, most people's distractions consisted of the phone, the fax machine, incoming memos and paperwork, solitaire, and actual people in their offices.

These days, people who work online face much more than that: email (perhaps the biggest problem for most people) instant messaging Twitter Facebook online forums blogs other social networks news sites phones & cell phones text messages Skype podcasts Google alerts mobile device notifications (iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) mobile apps videos online music online shopping Internet radio paperwork online games solitaire internet TV ebooks And more.

why and how to limit the stream.

With so many distractions, it's impossible to truly focus on the important. We try to drink the stream, but it's too voluminous and neverending to take in this way.

Some people think this is just a part of their work, or their lives, and that there's nothing wrong with being connected. It's a part of doing business, they say.

However, there's no one way to do business, and this book is about finding a better way. A saner way. I'm just one example of many people who have managed to do business online, have managed to stay connected, but who are able to limit the stream and make conscious decisions about how to be connected and how much information we consume.

We do it consciously, with intent. Social networks, blogs and news sites you read, different ways to communicate and consume information... these tend to build up as you spend time online. You build them up without much thought, but you end up being consumed by what you consume.

I suggest becoming more conscious of this, and choosing what you consume and how much you communicate carefully. Limit your stream to only the most essential information and communications, and you'll free up hours of time for creating and doing amazing things.

I also suggest starting from scratch. a.s.sume that nothing is sacred, empty your plate, and only put back on it what you absolutely need or love. Let the rest fade away.

make an important admission.

It's crucial that you admit to yourself: you can't read and consume everything. You can't do everything, respond to everything. Not only would the attempt take up all of your waking hours, but you'd fail. There's too much out there to read, too many people to potentially connect with and respond to, too many possible projects and tasks to actually complete.

It's impossible. Once you admit this, the next logical argument is that if you can't do and read and respond to everything, you must choose what you'll do and read and respond to, and let the rest go.

Let the rest go. This is unbelievably important. You have to accept this, and be OK with it.

an information cleanse.

If you look at information and communication as a form of mild (or sometimes not-so-mild) addiction, it can be healthy to force yourself to take a break from it.

Go on a mini-cleanse. Start with something that's not so scary: perhaps a day, or even half a day. Do this once a week. Later, as you get used to this, try a 2-3 day cleanse, and maybe even work your way up to a week.

Here's how to do the cleanse: Don't check email or other types of digital inboxes.

Don't log into Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks or forums.

Don't read news, blogs, subscriptions.

Don't check your favorite websites for updates.

Don't watch TV.

Don't use instant messaging of any kind.

Do use phones for as little time as possible, only for essential calls.

Do send an email if necessary, but try to avoid it, and don't check your inbox if you do.

Do use the Internet for absolutely necessary research. Be vigorous about this rule.

Do spend your time creating, working on important projects, getting outside, communicating with people in person, collaborating, exercising.

Do read: books, long-form articles or essays you've been wanting to read but haven't had the time for.

Do watch informative or thought-provoking films, but not mindless popular movies.

You could make a personalized list of your dos and don'ts, but you get the general idea. Again, start with half a day or a day -- something manageable. Do it once a week, and gradually expand the time you spend on the cleanse.

reducing the stream.

If you've done the cleanse, you now know the value of disconnecting, and you know that you can live without having to check your streams of information and messages all day, every day.

You've cleaned your plate. Now it's time to figure out what to add back on it.

Give it some thought: what are the most essential ways you communicate? Email? Skype? Twitter? Cell phone? IM?

What are the most essential information streams you consume? What blogs? What news? What other reading or watching or listening?

What can you cut out? Can you cut half of the things you read and watch? More?

Try eliminating at least one thing each day: a blog you read, an email newsletter you receive, a communication channel you don't need anymore, a news site you check often. Take them out of your email or feed inbox, or block them using one of the blocking tools mentioned in the "Focus Tools" chapter.

Slowly reduce your stream, leaving only the essentials.

using the stream wisely.

Just as importantly, reduce the time you spend using the essentials. If email is essential, do you need to be notified of every new email right this second? Do you need to be in your inbox all day long?

Place limits on the time you spend reading and communicating -- a small limit for each channel. Only check email for 30 minutes, twice a day, for example (or whatever limits work for you). Only read the limited number of blogs you subscribe to for 30 minutes a day. Only watch an hour of TV a day (for example).

Write these limits down, and add them up for a grand total of what you plan to spend on reading, consuming, communicating. Is this an ideal amount, given the amount of time you have available to you each day? The smaller the overall limit, the better.

2: you don't need to respond.