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Stop Fighting the Social Media Algorithms; Do This Instead!

Posted on by Jerad Hill

We’re constantly bombarded with information tailored to our interests and behaviors. This personalized experience, primarily seen on social media platforms, results from sophisticated algorithms designed to capture and retain our attention. While seemingly harmless, these algorithms play a pivotal role in shaping our online experience, often at the cost of our productivity and well-being. Hear me out:

The Mechanism of Distraction

At the heart of the problem are the algorithms created by social media companies. These platforms offer ‘free’ services, but the actual cost is our attention, monetized through the ads we are served. The more time we spend on these platforms, the more ads we see and the more revenue these companies generate.

These algorithms are meticulously designed to learn from our behavior. They analyze vast amounts of data to predict what might keep us engaged next. Whether it’s a video, a post, or an advertisement, the content is tailored to hook our attention and keep us scrolling.

The Personalization Trap

A key feature of these algorithms is the personalization of content. Search results and news feeds are no longer a one-size-fits-all but are uniquely tailored to each user. This personalization is based on our previous interactions, searches, likes, and even the amount of time we spend on certain posts.

While this can lead to a more enjoyable user experience, it also creates an echo chamber, reinforcing our existing beliefs and interests and keeping us engaged in the platform longer.

The Human Cost of Algorithmic Efficiency

It’s essential to recognize that these algorithms are not neutral. They are designed with a specific goal in mind: to maximize the time we spend on the platform. If these algorithms were personified, they would be the individuals we avoid in real life – those who distract us and derail our productivity.

Yet, we continue to engage with them daily. Each time we unlock our phones and open an app, we willingly enter a battlefield where we are outmatched. These algorithms know our weaknesses and our preferences and are constantly learning how to keep us engaged.

A Biblical correlation would be likening the algorithm to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The serpent was there to distract Eve and get her to sin. She could have avoided the serpent but chose to engage with it. The serpent’s famous line rings true today: “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4 ESV), but we do die a little bit when we give into the algorithm, allowing it to carry us away for hours on end.

Fighting Back Against the Digital Serpent

How do we resist the lure of these digital serpents? Here are some strategies:

  1. Set a Physical Timer: Limit your social media use by setting a physical timer. Place it out of arm’s reach so you’re forced to physically move when it goes off. This break can help snap you out of the scrolling trance.
  2. App Deletion: Consider deleting social media apps from your phone. They can still be accessed via a computer for necessary check-ins, but removing them from your phone eliminates the temptation for mindless browsing.
  3. Accountability: If self-regulation fails, enlist the help of friends or family. Share your screen time statistics with them and allow them to hold you accountable.

Towards a Healthier Digital Life

Algorithms, especially with the advancement of AI, are becoming more sophisticated. The real challenge, however, lies in mastering our minds. Instead of succumbing to the easy escape of scrolling, we can choose healthier alternatives like engaging in conversation or journaling.

With time and conscious effort, we can break free from the hold of these algorithms. By developing new habits, we can reintegrate social media into our lives in a balanced and healthy manner, ensuring that we use technology as a tool, not as a master.

Making the Most of the Last 10% of the Year: A Journey of Realistic Goal Setting and Achievement

Posted on by Jerad Hill

As we approach the final 10% of the year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on our journey through the past months. We start with a burst of enthusiasm each year, setting lofty goals and resolutions. Yet, often, these ambitions get sidelined by the hustle of our daily lives. It’s easy to underestimate the effort needed to achieve these goals, leading to a cycle of discouragement and, eventually, abandonment of our aspirations.

The opinions of others also influence our journey. Sometimes, well-intentioned but unhelpful comments can make us feel isolated in our pursuit of personal goals. This can be a significant deterrent, but it doesn’t have to define our journey.

Embracing Realistic Outcomes

As we navigate the last stretch of the year, it’s crucial to reassess and rewrite our goals with a realistic lens. For instance, I aimed to run 1,500 miles as a new runner but faced many setbacks, some health-related and some emotionally related. As of writing this, I am shy of 800 miles. If I ran an average of three miles per day, I could easily reach 900 miles. A partially achieved goal is infinitely better than one wholly abandoned.

Breaking Down Goals into Manageable Tasks

Reflect on your original goals and deconstruct them into smaller, more manageable tasks. Prioritize these tasks by ease of completion and their significance in achieving the overall objective. Which of these can you accomplish before the year ends? This approach allows for a more focused and achievable path to your goals.

Accountability and Motivation

Engage someone you trust to keep you accountable. Regular check-ins with this person, who has the authority to call you out on excuses, can be a powerful motivator to stay on track.

>> Get my free Notion Templates

Visual Tracking and Progress

Tracking progress is vital. Utilize apps or systems like a streak tracker or a personal log. I use Notion to log my progress, and I even redesigned my iPhone’s home screen to display my weekly running and cycling miles. Visual feedback is a great motivator and helps in recognizing your efforts.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is jerad-hill-iphone-homescreen-fitness-1-1024x683.jpg

Creating Systems, Not Just Goals

The failure to reach goals is often not about the goal itself but the need for a system to achieve it. Prioritize time for your goals, schedule dedicated slots on your calendar, and minimize distractions. This structural approach is critical to turning aspirations into achievements.

Managing Demotivators

Be cautious about who you discuss your goals with. Some people, even unintentionally, can demotivate you. In my experience, focusing conversations with such individuals on their lives rather than my goals limits the opportunity for discouragement. Celebrate your achievements with them once your goals are reached.

As we make the most of this year’s final 10%, let’s also use this time to plan for the following year. Think about setting sustainable and reachable goals, building systems that support these ambitions, and surrounding ourselves with positivity and motivation.

Remember, it’s not just about reaching the finish line; it’s about the journey, the learning, and the growth that happens along the way. Let’s stride into this final phase of the year with determination and emerge stronger, wiser, and ready for the challenges ahead.

Let’s make these last months count and set the stage for a successful, goal-oriented new year!

The Freedom in Disconnecting: My Journey Away From Social Media

Posted on by Jerad Hill

In the age of digital ubiquity, the pressure to maintain an omnipresent virtual persona is overwhelming. As content creators, the social media platforms we adorn seem to be directly proportional to our reach and influence. A narrative I, too, was enveloped in until the clarity of disconnect revealed a contrasting truth.

The Allure and Illusion of Omnipresence:

Several years into the social media revolutions by platforms like TikTok and the evolving dynamics of Twitter, a subtle estrangement emerged. A feeling exacerbated by the ephemeral buzz surrounding platforms like Clubhouse and Threads. These once all-consuming platforms seemed to lose their luster almost as swiftly as they gained it.

As one who has navigated these virtual terrains, the echo of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) was a familiar resonance. The incessant need to be plugged in, to catch every wave, was an undercurrent that directed my need to be included in the conversation.

The Revelation:

However, a revelation in September changed the course. My absence from social media, rather than a void, became a source of profound liberation. TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook – their exit from my daily routine unleashed an avalanche of time, energy, and depth in connections.

In this newfound space, reading flourished, journaling turned introspective, and content ideation transformed from hurried to thoughtful. A realization dawned – my professional stride was unhampered, if not enriched, by this disconnect.

The Myth of Universal Utility:

The myth that ubiquity on social media platforms equates to genuine connection and professional growth was debunked in my journey. Each tweet crafted, every post curated, became a testament to time and energy that could have been channeled into creating substantial, lasting value.

Twitter and its counterparts, while entertaining, did not align with my strengths and interests or foster business growth. The narrative of necessity, peddled by social media advocates, crumbled under the weight of personal experience.

The Path Forward:

The essence of meaningful engagement and productive creativity, I propose, is rooted in intentional and focused interaction. It’s about dissociating from platforms that are energy drainers and unaligned with individual strengths.

Identify one or two platforms that resonate with your skills, foster genuine interest, and hold the engagement promise. Remove social media success as an initial goal. Being so selective makes the path to meaningful connections and creative freedom more straightforward.

The Liberation:

Letting go of constant notifications and needing to be everywhere online led to a sense of freedom. Without the fear of missing out, there was more room for focus, productivity, and real connections.

In the narrative of social media engagement, less proved to be more. The trade-off between the illusory world of virtual omnipresence and the profound depths of focused, intentional engagement was not just necessary but unequivocally liberating.

Conclusion:

Choosing to be selective and focused in content creation is uncommon but valuable. It involves the bravery to step back from constant online presence, make wise choices, and connect more deeply. This approach helps content creators find their unique voice and make a lasting impact beyond temporary trends on social media.

Building a 2020 Vision

Posted on by Jerad Hill

Hey Friend 👋, the year is almost over, and that has me thinking about next year. Are you a new year resolution maker, or are you a bit more pessimistic like I am? In the past, I would scoff at new year resolutions because I not only knew that most people don’t stick to them but that I also had a pretty lousy track record myself.

I’m not sure if it’s the coming new decade, me turning forty next month, a bit of both, or just a coincidence, but I have been searching myself a lot this year looking to optimize various aspects of my life. A few months ago, this idea of creating a 2020 Vision for next year that will launch me into the next decade started to take form. 2020 will be the year of perfect vision. I want to encourage you to take this journey with me.

To dive deeper into this metaphor, you have to learn to focus on something before it becomes clear.

Even if we are not sure we can pull it off, we have to have a vision, somewhere to aim our focus. I have recently started running, and I find that if I choose a point and focus on it, each step is more consistent, and my body stays in line.

How To Create a 2020 Vision

I hesitate to give any advice because I am in the thick of it myself, but I want to share what I am doing right now to improve my focus. I have some ambitious goals for next year, and I plan to execute them while sharing the process along the way. I learn best by experience. If I can do something myself, or follow someone as they do it, I learn. Reading about what someone did years ago when the landscape was different does less for me. Are you the same?

YouTube Analytics for State of Tech – Last 28-Days

This image displays the projected revenue from the past 30-days of State of Tech, my mobile technology YouTube channel. In August, just a few months ago, it was $1,450.00 US. That is massive growth in the last few months, and I achieved it by focusing on creating new videos. In the first half of this year, I occasionally released new videos and did not have a plan in place. Now I do. It will take a lot of work to keep this momentum going as there was a significant boost in traffic from holiday shoppers after Black Friday, but I have a plan.

As I run towards my goals going into 2020, I don’t want to do it alone. Running is more fun with friends, so I want you to come along if you desire more focus as I do. I started a Facebook Group, and I would love for you to join me at no cost. This group is free to join. I will share some of what I am doing publically on social media, but I want to create a tribe of people who plan to make 2020 their best year yet. Click here to join the group.

YouTube Analytics for State of Tech – August 2019

📺 New Videos This Week

Here are a few of my latest videos. I had a goal to release some new camera-related videos as the Christmas shopping season was ramping up. My tech-related videos on State of Tech were performing great and it had been almost a month since I had released any videos on Ditch Auto.

Nikon Z6 – 6 Months Later
Canon 90D vs Nikon 500D Comparison – Which Is Better?

From My Resonance Log

Ideas, quotes, and thoughts that are “resonating” with me make it to my new Resonance Log in Notion. Here are a few from the past week:

What’s the one thing I can do this morning that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary. ~Gary Keller “The One Thing“

“If I’d waited to know who I was or what I was about before I started ‘being creative,’ well, I’d be sitting around trying to figure myself out instead of making things. In my experience, it’s in the act of making things and doing our work that we figure out who we are. You’re ready. Start making stuff.” ~Austin Kleon “Steal Like an Artist“

“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.” ~James Clear “Atomic Habits“

Now

🇺🇸 Writing From: Home Office
💪🏼 Current Challenges: 20,000 Steps/Day for 30-days (Day 21 – Friend me on Fitbit)
📱 App of the Week: Instapaper (I use this to save things I find on the web to read later)
🎧 Listening: Tim Ferriss Show #401 Gary Keller
📖 Reading: How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease – View on Amazon | Get Free on Audible.Com
🍿 Watching: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Prime Video
➡️ More now

Next

I have a lot to accomplish in the next week. It’s the last week before my kids start their Christmas break from school. I want to dedicate as much of my time to them as possible

Have any questions for me?

Let’s talk about it in the Facebook group. Click here to join me. Of course, you can always hit reply, and email me.

Thank You!

Thank you 🙏 for your support.

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5 Tips for Managing an Attention Deficit + 1 Game Changer

Posted on by Jerad Hill

As far back as I can remember, I have had a problem focusing. As a kid growing up in the 80’s, people often equated a kid with lack of attention to someone who wouldn’t amount to much later on in life. If you can’t focus in school you won’t get into college and you won’t get a good job. That was beaten into me by teachers throughout my years as a student. I carried that baggage with me into my adult years which included shame because I didn’t measure up to what society deemed as normal.

It was not until the last few years that I realized I have developed somewhat of a method to deal with an active attention deficit so I could accomplish tasks. I am not sure if I would end up being diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) or not, it would probably depend on what I told the doctor. I just think that the medical field is too quick to diagnose someone as having a disorder when they simply need a framework for accomplishing tasks.

This was originally a video I produced for my YouTube channel but after some restructuring, it ended up getting removed. In the original video, I discussed the following five topics and the game-changer. I plan to revisit these topics more specifically in the future, so please consider subscribing to my email newsletter.

  1. Focus on the problem.
  2. Visualization/Notes
  3. Remove visual clutter
  4. Self-Encouragement
  5. Milestones/Organization

Game Changer: Find something you truly enjoy.

This book was eye-opening for me: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
This book helped me become more self-aware: Insight: Why We’re Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed at Work and in Life
This book gave me some tips on how to get un-stuck: Why You’re Stuck: Your Guide To Finding Freedom From Any Of Life’s Challenges

How Did I Get Here?

Posted on by Jerad Hill

Do you ever stop mid task and ask yourself how you got to where you are in that moment? I have had that happen to me a few times over the last few months. Since moving out of my home office in 2011 I feel like I have been chasing after too many things. When I worked from home and was only responsible for my own wellbeing I could do whatever work I felt was right in the moment. As long as it resulted in getting paid for my time, I was ok with it. Now having tried to scale a couple of things with a roller coaster ride of limited success, I have been finding it hard to focus lately.

Lately I have felt like my own worst enemy. I have taken focus off of a few long-term projects that have not been producing as much fruit as they once were but still allowing myself to be distracted by some of the aspects of those projects. In my mid twenties, I was good at limiting distractions. I had laser focus, but it had to be that way. I was so busy with the company I was running at that time that I had to pull late nights and work 7-days-a-week to keep up. Somehow I was fine with that. Busy is easy because you can see what needs to be done. When you are busy, the work comes at you and you can take it on full force. The real struggle is when you are caught in between busy and slow. That middle ground can be dangerous and it has been eating away at me like a cancer for the last year.

I have some great clients. We have been blessed with clients that have fun products and they trust us to do the work they hired us to do. At the same time we have had a few stinkers that have made it hard for us to do our work. It is all part of being in business. Over the last year specifically, we have had steady work from regular clients and a small amount of growth, but nothing that has stretched us too thin. Being in this place is what allows my mind enough energy to dream but does not leave me with enough time to execute on any of those dreams. I have always been a dreamer and often find myself laying in bed at midnight considering a new idea. Late night thought sessions as I lay in bed is what led me to at one point having owned more than 350 domain names. I have my own representative at GoDaddy who calls me from the office of the CEO. That might be some marketing ploy to make me feel important but I do know that I own way too many domain names. Every domain name was purchased because of some idea I was mulling over in my head. Most of those domain names never made it past a GoDaddy Parked page and expire a year later.

When I was 18 and almost out of high school, I was utilizing everything I had some knowledge in to make money. Besides working in retail management at the local mall, I was building computers for people, setting up small office networks, and trying to start an online business selling cell phones and accessories. I was going in too many directions. I found myself prioritizing what I enjoyed doing the most. The retail job was a constant paycheck. Building computers was fun, but being available for any and all questions that my customers had was not. I enjoyed setting up small office networks but when AOL didn’t load fast enough, I got a call. It was an early lesson in doing too many things at once. Now almost 20 years later, I am having the same problem. 

As I have written about before, I started building websites to give myself more freedom. The business I was running prior to that was taking too much time and was not going to scale unless I could clone myself. I started a photography business to fund my desire to buy new camera lenses but that quickly turned into a business more profitable than my website design business was at the time. During my later twenties, having both businesses was nice. I was single for a few of those years with plenty of time to work when needed. After marrying, my wife worked on some weekends so shooting weddings on weekends was not a big deal. After we started having kids, I wanted more weekends available, which meant shooting less weddings. Having moved out of my home office, one of my goals was to grow my website design company as well. I have had some measurable success there but I have allowed myself to be distracted a lot along the way which has stifled growth of Hill Media Group.

Running your own business is very emotional. Some people refer to their business as one of their kids because it is that close to them. I have always been able to work for myself and stay motivated. Motivation has never been the problem. The problem has been allowing myself to get stuck because of decisions I have made or allowed myself to be distracted by. Let’s take a quick inventory of what I currently do or offer as a service. Some of these services are related and this definitely is not an exhaustive list. What follows is a list of services that I offer and deliver on at least once each week in one form or another. This list also includes jobs performed to maintain our own projects and websites at Hill Media Group.

  • Website Design
  • Custom Development/Programming
  • Website Hosting
  • Email (Google Apps for Work)
  • Google Adwords (Paid Search Marketing)
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • Social Media Management
  • Social Media Marketing (Paid Social)
  • Website Technical Support
  • Project Management
  • Data Management
  • Commercial Photography
  • Wedding Photography
  • Photo Editing
  • Video Production
  • Wedding Video Production
  • Video Editing
  • Product Testing
  • Product Reviews
  • Editorial Writing

I will have to come back to this list. I know there is more. This list does not include tasks required to run a business, nurture new and potential clients, manage employees, and whatever else I can’t seem to think of at this hour. Some of the above listed jobs I share responsibility with employees and occasionally outsource from time to time, but for the most part, I have my hand in all of those things. I recognize that I am not a top level professional in all of those areas but I am a professional in each of them to the extent that I believe I could focus on any one of them specifically and make a good living. The problem is allowing myself to do that.

It’s hard to avoid doing everything that I have a professional understanding of because there are so many people out there offering substandard service in just one area. In online marketing, there are a lot of scam artists out there who might as well be selling snake oil. Companies take advantage of naive business owners who simply want a professional to handle their online marketing for them. When you know that you can offer a better service and more value, it’s hard to just not do it.

This leads me back to the question, “How Did I Get Here?”

Just about all of these services I offer came from me needing them as a service from myself. I taught myself how to build Google Adwords Campaigns that perform using my own money attempting to market my own businesses. Though this article is all over the place, I developed my writing style from years of writing. My formal education stops just above high school level. I taught myself how to film product reviews by making videos and striving to improve along the way. Where I have led myself astray is that I turn that knowledge into a service and make it available to others.

When you turn something into a service you are stating that it is available for anybody. When I offered my website design skills for sale, I had to build websites for anybody who wanted one. When I started filming projects for clients I needed more gear, so I started offering those services to anyone. Hill Media Group has become this agency that has the knowledge and tools to be a full service agency handling everything from website design to film production but we don’t do end up doing enough of most of those services to justify the costs associated with them. What I mean is that we have everything we need because we have invested in the tools we need to produce quality work. The problem is that some of those tools end up collecting dust because we are not focusing on that specific area of business enough. People have short films in festivals and own less equipment than we have. 

All of the services that my company offers are services that I enjoy spending time working on. There are so many cool things out there and so few hours to get to spend doing them. What I truly enjoy is learning something and deploying it. It really doesn’t matter if I am doing it for myself or for someone else. I just enjoy the journey. But I do understand that specializing in a smaller subset of things leads to being better at them. This goes not only for me, but for those who work for me. Most people get bogged down when they are jumping between multiple unrelated tasks. It’s impossible to get into a grove when you don’t know where you will be next.

I have already started making changes to limit what types of work we do and will offer. I removed a once very profitable offering from one of our websites because it has been more of a distraction over the past several months. I plan to make more changes this year as I attempt to discover what areas I would like to specialize in and cull the rest from our offered services. About a year ago I started selling off some of my equipment I use for video production projects and simply rent the gear when I need it. I am already doing the same with my photography equipment. I simply don’t do enough volume to justify having all of the equipment I have. I love having the latest and greatest equipment, but I can no longer justify owning all of it.

I am thankful for this clarity I have been praying I would receive for over a year now. Sometimes you end up down a rabbit hole and are not quite sure just how you got there. Working for yourself or being an entrepreneur is a constant lesson in understanding your strengths and recognizing your limits. I am looking forward to further clarity as I continue to remove things from my work life that have stretched me too thin. I love my business, but I love my family more. Anything that takes away from that is theft in my opinion. Allowing myself to go in too many different directions has robbed my family of my focus and attention. Narrowing my scope will be better for everybody involved. When I stopped building computers for people I referred them to another local business. I look forward to doing that with some of the services I have provided in the past. Sometimes you have to cut the fat, which leads me to a blog post I really need to write about being more healthy.

Squirrel!

Posted on by Jerad Hill

I am easily distracted. There have been times I self-diagnosed ADD. The problem is that we live in a world with no shortage of distractions. There is more than just something for everybody, there are dozens of somethings.

To make it worse, I love technology. You and I both know that the tech world moves fast and there are always new bright/shiny things coming out every day. Adding to that, I want to touch and play with all of the new technology. Obviously, that is not practical because things are expensive.

When I was a kid, I would make lists of stuff I was going to buy when I had money. I grew up working on motors and racing go-karts. I remember making a list of motor parts I wanted to buy so I could build my own motor. A few years ago I bought a go-kart to drive for leisure. I realize now that I was living out my childhood dream of building a fast motor for my go-kart as an adult.

The last few years I have been analyzing, maybe over-analyzing the way I focus and what I focus on. This has led me to realize just how scattered my focus can be at times, hence the ADD self-diagnosis. Maybe it’s not ADD, it’s just that I focus heavily on things that I enjoy and it makes it hard for me to focus on other things when I am locked on to those thoughts. Now I am realizing that sounds a bit selfish, but that is the battle.

Just like most of us, my phone is a distraction. I spend too much time on it looking at things. I don’t scroll Facebook, but I scroll tech headlines and the tweets of people I follow in the technology space. That can be distracting.

The reason for thinking about this or even writing about it came about because I have realized in the last few months there have been a few instances where I had a thought I was working on, got distracted just for a second, and the entire thought was gone. I couldn’t even remember the topic of thought. It’s like it didn’t exist. Sometimes the thought would resurface later, but a few times it did not. Call it getting older or something…

The more I talk with people, I realize that most of this can be written off as a side effect of the human condition. We all get distracted in different ways. It’s hard to hyper-focus on something. To be honest, I am not sure hyper-focus is a good thing.

Even as I wrote this, I lost my train of thought once, was distracted by email twice and my phone three times. The struggle is real.

What are some of the things that distract you? What do you do to curb the distraction so you can get things done?

5 Reasons Why I Have A Hard Time Focusing On Projects

Posted on by Jerad Hill

This last few years have been very challenging for me. Since I started a family, my brain has changed or maybe I should say, the environment in which my brain was used to living has changed. I have noticed that the more personal responsibility I take on, the harder it is for me to focus and get things done. I am easily distracted by obligations and expectations of others. When I was single and even newly married, I did not recognize any measurable changes in expectations. As time has progressed, I can see them and as my family grows it becomes easier and easier to measure them. My problem is that I have had a false sense of urgency. I spent my entire 20’s learning, trying and growing. Now that I am in my 30’s I feel that ideas are much larger. I also feel that I have less time to accomplish them or get them to produce fruit. Mentally and physically I can not stay up all night working on projects anymore. I get tired quicker and my brain fails faster than before. I am finding that I need to learn how to control this and make it work. It is going to require me doing things in a whole new way; something that is unfamiliar to me.

I read a lot. I listen to a lot of audiobooks. I am fascinated with the inner workings of the brain. The how’s and why’s are intriguing to me and I feel it helps me understand more about why my brain is the way it is as I continue to age. Through my audiobook partaking, a lot of self reflection and prayer, I have determined that the following five reasons listed below contribute to most of my problems with focusing. My hopes are that if you connect with what I have said so far that you will be able to start on the same path I am beginning to start on myself.

1. I allow my brain’s limited resources to deplete prematurely.
Hard thinking depletes the brain’s ability to focus much faster than I realize. When I focus on a task of any sort, I am using strength that my brain has to process information and complete tasks. This is a finite resource that we all have and in a world where every direction we turn is calling our for our attention, it is easy to delete this resource prematurely.

I wake up, and the first thing I do is check email to make sure nothing big needs to be handled right away. I also check to see if any new orders have came in on a couple of websites that I run. Before I even get up out of bed to get my blood flowing and make my way to the kitchen to put food in my body, I am using up precious resources that I would not be able to get back until the next good-nights sleep.

My father-in-law is a truck driver. We have discussed before how his job is not really mentally draining so much as it is physical. There are things that he needs to focus on, but driving for the most part, is a muscle memory task that we all can do with out much mental processing. Writing is something that you could not do for a 12 hour shift like you could with driving a truck. Eventually you will run out of processing energy and you will begin to lose your edge.

I have noticed that I can focus really well when I have limited time to complete a task. Sometimes it is a deadline that puts my brain into work mode and allows me to stretch further than usual, other times it is just knowing that I only have an hour to work on something because I have meetings through out the rest of the day.

Actionable Step: I am going to start splitting my day up. I have had the hardest time getting to the gym because I can not wake up as early as I used to and if I go to the gym in the evening, I will lay awake in bed for hours. If I can not make it to the gym for other reasons, I will come home for lunch and enjoy some time with my family. What I can not do is stay in my office for 8 hours straight and expect productive results. The goal here is to get to the gym more and I think that complete change up and release of physical energy will help me regain productivity in the afternoon.

2. I hold too much in my brain.
The older we get, the more we need to write things down in order to remember them. I am finding that the more I try to remember, the harder my brain has to work to remember those items which usually results in something else slipping away. As I mentioned above, the brain has limited resources and as my life gets more complex, I find it harder to allocate those resources accordingly so I can still accomplish my goals and tasks.

I use Evernote but I have failed to use it to it’s full potential. Ideas pop into my head, tasks bombard me and all of these things are distracting. Even though I am writing more down than I ever have before in my life, there is more information bombarding me than ever before. I need to take advantage of how easy it is to get that down on paper, my iPhone or my computer.

A very successful man I know has a notebook that he carries with him. Every day has a page in that book. He writes everything down in that book and the book is always with him. He writes things down on each line as the day progresses. Though I am sure he has amassed a stockpile of notebooks over the years I can see why he does it. After the habit of writing everything down took over I am sure that his brain is fully aware and confident to let go of thoughts because they are safely on paper. He can reference back to anything he needs to at any time because he writes down everything. His brain is liberated to focus on intense tasks and thinking at a whim because of this habit of writing things down. I tried doing this for a while but did not allow it to become a habit.

Actionable Step: I am going to write everything down each day. My tool of choice will be Evernote. I can access Evernote on all of the devices I have. It is already installed on my computers, my iPhone, iPad, Android Phone, Android Tablet and I am sure any device I obtain in the future will support it as well. Just now I created a Daily Notes notebook which will contain a note for each day. The first thing I will do each day is create a new note for the day. As things pop into my head, I will write them down. As I meet with people and have thoughts come up, I will write them down. I will add tasks there as well. Everything will go into that notebook and when I feel like I am being rude because I am typing into my phone during a conversation I will simply say, “I am going to write this down so I don’t forget it.”

3. I attempt to perform to many tasks at once.
As a male, I am aware that I am not genetically able to multi-task. I know that only a small percent of humans in general can truly multitask however I attempt to do it every day. Because of this, I end up performing at a lower level than I would if I was to intently focus on one task at a time. Even as I began to write this third reason I was in Evernote adding to my note for today. This is me multitasking and I need to try and do less of it.

I believe that if I can master the art of writing things down and get to the point where my brain is able to trust the fact that I stored my thought outside of my mind, I will truly be able to find a greater level of focus. This should ultimately help me steer clear of multitasking which I know happens because my mind jumps from one thought to the other.

Actionable Step: To help my brain stay on one task at a time I need to remove distractions. This means that if I am editing wedding photography work or writing code for a website design project, I should shut off my email client, turn off any and all notifications, put my phone on silent and listen to some non-distracting music or background noise. When I find myself in a rut, I will leave my office and go to a coffee shop where the background noise and lack of desktop distractions are enough to subdue my thoughts and allow me to focus.

4. I often switch between tasks before completing what I was working on.
My life is a constant struggle between wanting to work on my own projects and completing projects for clients. My own projects end up getting shelved because I want as much of my focus to be on my clients projects as possible. This results in many unfinished projects of my own that I eventually end up abandoning. Some of the best ideas I have had were put into a project that ended up never seeing the light of day. By the time I was ready to get back to work on it the idea was either no longer good or somebody else had already brought it to market. It has gotten to the point that even my employees see something in the news and tell me that they remember me having that idea 6 months earlier.

My best work not only for my own projects but for my clients as well has came out of a long uninterrupted session where I was able to focus and create with out distraction. I let to many distractions into my life and I need to be better at managing them. Distractions are not a bad thing to have but they become bad when you allow them to get you to stop working on what you were focused on and work on something else. The main distraction is my phone. Clients will call me with legitimate issues, and I want to help. I don’t like it when my clients feel helpless. They are reaching out to me to solve an issue for them and when it is done by phone it breaks whatever focus I had and moves it elsewhere. Getting back to that focus after a distraction is not easy.

Notifications from my various devices are also huge distractions. Apple, Goole and Microsoft think that they are doing us a favor by allowing us to be notified about pretty much any action but it is actually hurting productivity. When I am concentrating on something hard such as writing an article like this or writing code for a web project, my brain wants to find something else to do that is less taxing. A simple notification or even having other browser windows open makes it very easy for me to get distracted by checking email only to find that it’s a notification from Youtube letting me know I have a new subscriber. There some things that we have been doing for such a long time that we do not need notifications for them. Email for example is one of them, we check our email often as a habit. I don’t need a notification to pop up telling me that I have a new email. It is a given that I will have a new email being that I get over 150 new emails per day. On my Mac, very few apps are allowed to show up in the Notification Center. Email, Facebook, Twitter and any other service that tends to distract me have been removed.

Actionable Step: A few months ago I implemented a ticket system on my website in hopes that I would be able to get clients to start using it. My new goal is to ask all of my clients to submit their support requests to the ticket system so I can work on needs one at a time. This will make it much easier to manage issues. The customer support system I am using is called Ticksy and it is super easy to setup and manage. I also plan to build up a solid FAQ section to help my clients find answers to common questions quickly.

5. Inconsistent focus has taught my brain to be over-aware.
As I mentioned before, the brain adapts and my brain has certainly adapted. Because of the bombardment of distractions from all directions my brain is always on alert so that it will be ready for the next request. Even when I want it to focus on a task, it is hard for me to stay focused for long periods of time because of how my brain has changed over the years. This change in the way my brain does things did not happen over night. I have slowly allowed things to enter my life in a way that has became overwhelming for my brain thus causing it to change. It is easy to form patterns, but it is hard to break them. The same goes for habits. When I consistently allow email, text messages, phone calls and the allure of funny photos from TheChive to disrupt me, I am telling my brain that it is ok to go look at those things instead of tackling the task at hand. This is how my procrastination forms. I never decide not to do something because I know I have plenty of time to do it later. I put a task off because I ran out of time to complete it at that sitting because of other distractions I allowed to get in. Granted I don’t spend as much time browsing the interwebs for silly content as most people do, but the allure is there so long as the internet is available to be connected to.

Actionable Step: I recognize that there does need to be a set amount of time where I can allow my brain to rest. My goal is to schedule that rest by using a timer. I will work intently on a task for 30 minutes and reward myself with 10 minutes of something else such as getting a drink of water or checking a fun website for a quick laugh. That timer will go off and I will close whatever I was doing for fun so it does not become a distraction. The break I gave my brain will help me keep away from distractions because I gave myself time to be distracted. The important thing to note is that I gave myself a set amount of time for distractions and then I return back to what I was working on.

I know that this is going to take time. For years I have allowed myself to drift in other directions when my focus should be tack sharp. It will take time to train my brain to work in a more controlled way. This is my first step and I hope that if you are having similar issues that you will join me in this path toward a shaper focus. I used to have it and I desperately want it back.

If you have something to add to this article I would love to hear it in the comments below. If you have a tip or ritual that you do that helps you remain focused, please share it. I am always open to new ideas and love to hear about what others are doing to promote sharper focus in their lives.