How grand life would be if we were all masters of time management. The guiding principle of managing your time effectively is to acquire the innate ability to focus. Although we all possess the ability, it is a skill that must be learned and cultivated.

A recent study found that the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today. It is reported that goldfish have a 9-second attention span. So how did that come to be? How does a goldfish exceed a human’s attention span? With our brains constantly stimulated by emails, phone calls, text messages, social media & live interaction, it’s easy for the mind to automatically drift to the next shiny thing.

I remember when I was young, I would plant myself in front of the TV in the living room to complete my homework. Ironically, I was the most productive and comfortable when I immersed myself in the most active room in the house with constant noise in the background. I trained myself to let the world around me disappear so that I could completely focus on the task at hand. Although I can be easily distracted, I think that habit forming exercise of finding the quiet amidst the chaos has helped me with my life-long ability to focus.

Extending your attention span is just as important as what you focus on! Time is a commodity and it’s valuable. As a leader, you must focus on the things that matter the most. “Where focus goes, energy flows,” Tony Robbins says. “What you focus on, you feel.” The power of focus affects all aspects of your life. You can focus on goals at work, in your relationships or on personal goals like fitness and emotional health – and you can manifest those goals into being.”

Focus is the center of your interest and activity and you must condition yourself to not only pay attention, but to pay attention to what matters most. It’s such a guiding principle in productivity at HOTWORX & Planet Beach, that they themed their next Convention, FOCUS. As the number on training & networking event of the year, the company intendeds on instilling the importance of focus with their Franchisees and operators at the luxurious Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, August 1-3 of 2022.

When life gets chaotic, don’t be a goldfish. Stay alert and find your focus.

Watch your thoughts, they become words;
watch your words, they become actions;
watch your actions, they become habits;
watch your habits, they become character;
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Written By: Jodie Mateu, VP of Special Events & Productivity