Hello,
I have looked at my phone five times since starting this email. This is how distracted I am these days. Maybe you can relate.
I know everyone says a pandemic is a great time to do your best work, but it hasn’t worked out so well for me. Never in my life have I been more distracted and felt more guilty for not being able to pay attention.
I mean, how hard is it to sit down and write some words each day? Apparently, pretty hard… especially when you have all the time in the world.
I have always been a bit of a procrastinator and suffered from an attention deficit. This, admittedly, has not always been a bad thing for me, as it’s given me what psychologists call a “leaky filter,” enabling me to spot opportunities that other, more focused individuals might miss.
Nonetheless, I don’t love the fact that it can sometimes be a little difficult (okay, always very, very hard) to start my work day before noon or that my kids catch me staring at my phone while driving.
Yes, yes. I know. I shouldn’t do that. Thank you for telling me something I already knew.
I always felt shame for being so easily distracted. Why was I, an author, so terrible at finishing books? Why couldn’t I sit and read writing that belonged to someone other than myself? I didn’t know.
That is, until I met Nir Eyal, my guest on The Portfolio Life podcast this week.
Nir is an author, investor, and just all-around smart person whose recent book delves into the science of distraction and how we can better understand what keeps us from focusing on our best work.
This conversation rocked me, truly. What I learned from our interview and from Nir’s great book (which I make required reading for almost everyone I coach or work with) helped me become a better dad, a better writer, and a more intentional leader.
I hope you’ll take some time to give it a listen. You won’t regret it.
Best,
Jeff
P.S. What are you wanting to focus on right now? Shoot me a quick reply with one project or task you want to dedicate more time to and let me know what’s standing in your way.
P.P.S. Struggling to take care of yourself in the midst of a pandemic? You might enjoy this recent piece I did.
