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Some additional tips to help in becoming more focused and productive
include: 109

1. Do creative work first. Typically, we do our simplest work first and
build up to the toughest tasks. That drains your energy and lowers your

focus. In order to focus effectively, reverse the order. Check off the tasks
that require creativity or concentration first thing in the morning, and then
move on to easier work, like deleting emails or scheduling meetings, later
in the day.

2. Allocate your time deliberately. Research demonstrates that people are

truly focused for an average of only six hours per week. That is why it is so
important to use that time wisely for important things in the organization.
It is often helpful to discover where and when you do your best thinking,
and allocate your most difficult decisions to that time and/or place.

3. Train your mind to avoid distractions. When multitasking is the norm,

your brain quickly adapts. However, you lose the ability to focus as
distraction becomes a habit. Practice concentration by turning off all
distractions and committing your attention to a single task. Start small,
maybe five minutes per day, and work up to larger chunks of time. If you
find your mind wandering, just return to the task at hand.

If you chase two rabbits, both will escape. Unknown.

Responding Quickly with Agility

Five to ten years ago you would set your vision and strategy and then start
following it. That does not work anymore. Now you have to be alert every

day, week, and month to renew your strategy. Pekka-Ala Pietilä,
(President of Nokia in the early 2000s).

With all the gains in technology, customer and stakeholder response time
has become an absolute critical success factor. Delivering great products
and services too late is the same as not delivering them at all. Being slow in
response to customer needs is the best news you can give your competitors.

109 Nadia Goodman, “How to Train Your Brain to Stay Focused,”:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225321.

David Kolzow 93