245: Erik Qualman — How to Focus in an Unfocused World

Feb 3, 2021

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Do you have trouble focusing? Don’t worry, this is a common problem many people have! When we’re being thrown so many things on the news, on social media, in our businesses, it’s hard to keep present on the important things. Here are some solutions to help manage these pain points and keep you focused!

Erik Qualman is a five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker and has been voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling. Erik is out with a new book, The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less Book, which dives into how to keep your mind on one track.

Bill needs focus more than ever. With the dog barking in the background and the constant pings and dings on his phone, it’s a surprise how anyone in this digital age can get good work done with so many distractions coming at us.

When you look at Warren Buffet’s calendar, it’s almost completely blank and that’s intentional. He needs space to think. Bill Gates took a page from Warren’s book, but prior to this, he was under the impression that a good CEO just crams their day with as many things as possible. The truth is, it’s a balance and this is the hardest thing for CEOs to achieve. You need “blank space” but you also need to “get things done.”

It might sound insane, but you want to block out a chunk of your calendar for “emergencies and interruptions.” For Bill, it used to be an hour-and-a-half window in the afternoon. He’s aware that emergencies don’t always happen at 2 p.m. on the dot, every day, but at least you still have space to handle it when bad things do occur and you can shift your calendar around.

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