Written by: August 6, 2023
How to be more focused than you ever thought possible (backed by evidence):
Principle-First
Being in a flow state is an incredible feeling. And it can be highly productive.
Take McKinsey’s ten-year study, which found that executives are 500% more effective when in flow (source).
A leading author on flow, Steven Kotler, emphasizes:
“This means, if you spend Monday in flow, you can actually take the rest of the week off and still get more done than your steady-state peers.”
My question is: What might your income (and life) look like if you were, in fact, able to get more done in a single day than you typically do all week?
SUPERHUMAN SCORING
In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.
Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.
Impact (9.0/10)
Realize that—at any moment—your life experience is the product of your senses.
Vision, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
For most of us, that usually looks like constant phone notifications, distracting music, processed snacks that crash our energy, etc.
Your senses pass all that information to your brain to perceive and understand your reality.
The good news? You can optimize each sensory interaction to unlock more energy, productivity, and focus.
Let me show you how.
Setup (7.5/10)
1. Sound for Focus
- Turn off mobile/desktop pings.
- Play music strategically. Avoid selecting songs one at a time—it kills your flow. Instead, use a pre-made playlist on loop. Try classical music, lo-fi beats, or anything by Hans Zimmer (he composed the music for Inception, Interstellar, and many more).
- Use noise-cancelling headphones.
2. Vision for Focus
- Hide your phone (or put it in Do Not Disturb Mode) for ~2 hours when you need to focus.
- Design your “laptop periphery” with artwork that motivates you.
- Use smart light bulbs to increase blue light for alertness, then decrease it to wind down before bed.
3. Touch for Focus
- Set a cool room temperature for optimal productivity (70-73 F / 21-23 C).
- Seek fewer things of higher quality (a high-quality notebook and pen, ergonomic keyboard and mouse, standing desk, etc.).
- Add semblances of nature indoors, e.g., plants & wood-grain desks. As creatures of evolution, we thrive in nature.
4. Smell for Focus
- Try an aromatherapy diffuser—with essential oils—to stimulate attention. Peppermint and lemon oils are focus-boosting. I use a Vitruvi Stone diffuser with dōTERRA essential oils (I'm not affiliated; they're just products I like).
5. Taste for Focus
- Stock your workspace with healthy snacks to stay energized.
- Hydrate: Your brain is 73% water. Dehydration impairs decision-making and causes low energy. Get your brain the water it deserves.
- Chew gum for enhanced alertness & sustained performance.
Maintenance (8.0/10)
These tips are advanced.
Where should you start?
Here’s the simplest advice for the greatest impact: Hide your phone and turn off all device notifications.
You will go deep.
BRINGING IT HOME
Summary of 5 senses for focus:
- 👂: Listen to a flow-inducing playlist; Use noise-cancelling headphones
- 👁️: Hide bad triggers (phone)
- 👋: Set a cool room temp for alertness (69-72° F)
- 👃: Try an aromatherapy diffuser (peppermint & lemon promote focus)
- 👅: Chew gum; Hydrate
The ability to focus is a modern-day superpower. It’s time to reclaim yours.
All systems go,
P.S. Less than 6 months ago, I released a course showing you how to grow & monetize an audience. Creator Method recently passed 1,000 students (5-star rating) 🎉
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