Scattered Work vs Focused Work

Most people mistake activity for achievement.

They think being busy means being productive. But busyness just hides the lack of focus. Focus is what moves the needle. Focus is the habit of habits.

During a leadership coaching session recently with Shawn, who is leading a high-profile construction project that has to finish before the end of the year, the pressure was real: change orders, meetings, and people constantly pulling on his time.

He works hard, but he admitted something honest. He spends more time talking about the work than doing the work.

So we tried a small shift. He blocked one 45-minute window each morning. No phone. No email. Just focused time to think and move the most important tasks across the finish line.

Some days, he added an extra 45-minute block right after a quick 10-minute break because his progress was so meaningful. In our next coaching session, he said, “Those 45-minute focused sessions produced like three or four hours of work because I committed to being focused.”

It was a small adjustment from Shawn, but here’s why it matters to you.

Scattered work feels busy. Focused work drives progress. And your results change when your focus changes.

The hard truth is you don’t need more hours. You need more focus. You need 45-minute blocks of uninterrupted time that you commit to being intensely focused.

Can you commit to doing that today?

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