Chris Bailey on Focused Attention, Productivity Improvement, and His Latest Book – Episode #116

Post by Anthony Iannarino
October 20, 2018

Chris Bailey is an author, speaker, and expert on productivity improvement. He is Anthony’s guest on this episode of In the Arena, and it’s an actionable conversation you don’t want to miss. Chris unveils insights from his latest book, “Hyperfocus,” and explains two main types of focus that you need to be leveraging in your life and work. You’ll also hear about a strategy that will help you prioritize the most important tasks in your work and why multitasking isn’t always a bad thing. For the full story, be sure to give this episode your full attention.

Don’t miss @Chris_Bailey, founder of @ALOProductivity, share his thoughts on focused attention, #productivity improvement, and his latest book, all on this episode of #InTheArea with @iannarino. Listen now! Click To Tweet

Productivity improvement doesn’t mean making more to-do lists!

Productivity is so much more than simply making to-do lists and maintaining inbox zero. It can be an entire lifestyle choice that allows you to focus deeply on what matters most while setting everything else aside. Chris and Anthony both agree that “The state of our attention dictates the state of our lives.” Adding value, creating, and facilitating change all start with productivity, and this interview with Chris can help you get a jump start on making effective changes in the way you operate. Listen now!

Use this strategy to determine what tasks and work add the most value to your life

On this episode, Anthony asks Chris about his Eisenhower Matrix, an identification system that breaks down tasks into 4 main categories: things that are productive, things that are core and essential to your work, those that are attractive to you, and those that are unattractive. The challenge lies in “value judgments,” and discerning if the tasks that take up so much of your time are actually productive in the truest sense of the word.

In order to make these determinations, start by writing out all of the tasks you’re responsible for in a given period of time (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.). Then, identify which top 3 tasks add the most value to your workplace and allow you to create the most. Everything else falls into a subcategory of distraction, and from there you can create systems to help you avoid distractions when it matters most.

Use THIS strategy to determine what tasks add the most #value to your life and work! Developed by #productivity expert @Chris_Bailey of @ALOProductivity, it’s sure to help you streamline your work. Hear all about it on this ep of #InTheArea with @iannarino.Click To Tweet

The difference between hyperfocus, scatter focus, and why both are important

Chris tells Anthony that people often revert to focusing on what’s urgent, latest, and loudest if given the chance. To change this pattern of attention, Chris has defined two main areas of focus: hyperfocus and scatter focus. The former is comprised of sections of time (often 90 minutes) that are wholly dedicated to deep, creative work and thought. Scatter focus, however, is the time when you allow your mind to freely wander. Considering people think about their futures and longterm goals 14 times more often when they’re not focused on one particular project, it’s easy to see how both strategies complement one another and result in an overall productivity improvement.

Learn how to tame distractions so you can devote deliberate attention to your work

Whether you’re spending time on hyperfocused or scatter focus projects, another critical piece to productivity improvement is limiting distractions. Constant emails, tweets, and notifications pull your attention away from the task at hand and prevent you from working optimally. You have to know how much collaboration, distraction, and focus you can balance in your day to day workspace, or you’ll never work in your fullest capacity. To learn how Chris manages his distractions, don’t miss this episode.

Constant emails, tweets, and notifications pull your attention away from the tasks at hand & prevent you from working optimally. Discover a solution developed by @Chris_Bailey of @ALOProductivity on this insightful episode of #InTheArea with @iannarinoClick To Tweet