Modern Productivity: Superhuman Focus In A Distracted World

For the class project, there are three steps I’d like you to take to give your productivity a boost:

1. After viewing the Distractions section, identify 1-3 major distractions or “procrastination triggers” in your life, and take steps to eliminate them. Take note of how you feel when you remove the temptation to procrastinate.
2. Get everything out of your head! From your long-term goals to that project you need to finish by next Wednesday—write it all down or enter it into a task manager. After doing this, notice again how you feel. Trying to keep track of everything in your head can be overwhelming. When you put things into writing, you save a ton of mental bandwidth that can then be focused on your current priority.
3. Experiment with the strategies we discussed in the Execution section: “just get started,” deadlines, the Pomodoro method, batching, and music. Everyone is different, so test these methods and see which ones have the greatest impact on your life.

After completing these steps, I would love to hear how your personal productivity has changed as a result. How are you feeling, and what are you accomplishing? Share your thoughts, questions, and struggles in the class!