Hey Time Dorks,
Today we’re going to talk about the power of focus and how you can use a common productivity framework to get your most important projects done.
🏃♂️Something to Try
When you’re starting up a new project, your brain acts like a computer starting up, loading relevant information and processes into working memory. This “boot up” takes time and, to some extent, you have to redo it every time you pick up the project.
Sidenote: this is why multitasking is so bad for our focus. When you switch your attention between tasks, you’re constantly rebooting and this drains your cognitive energy,
That’s why it can be so powerful to Run a Personal Sprint (#7).
If you’re a longtime Time Dorks reader or you work in tech, you most likely know what a design sprint is. If you don’t, the big idea is that a team comes together and works on one problem over five days.
Sprints help teams make progress and solve problems quickly, but sprints aren’t just for teams.
You can also run your own personal sprint.
Whether you’re preparing a huge report for a client or painting the living room, you’ll do better work and make faster progress if you stick to it for consecutive days.
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When you Run a Personal Sprint, you reduce the context-switching that occurs during a normal week. And by eliminating that back-and-forth, you increase your focus on what matters most.
I’ve found that personal sprints work exceptionally well for projects that require deep focus, like writing, but I’d encourage you to experiment with this tactic in your own life and see the difference it can make.
🤖 Tech & Tools
When it comes to running a sprint, we highly recommend you create a visual representation to track your progress and keep you motivated.
One great option is to use an old-fashioned whiteboard. Each day, you can write out your Highlight and then all the associated tasks you’ll get done.
If you’re sprinting on a project with a team that is remote, a digital whiteboard such as Mural, Google Jamboard can work wonders!
📚 Timely Quotes
— Mary Oliver
Thanks for reading, see you next week!
Connor
