Even after establishing a focused foundation it’s easy to get distracted. Why? One word: people. It really doesn’t matter how meticulous a person’s to-do list is; if one is around people, they’re bound to get distracted.
People run into problems throughout the day, and unless one’s at the bottom of the totem pole, people will flock to others for solutions. I call this, healthy distraction. Distraction driven by the external environment is alright–if it’s people-driven.
We’ll get into to-do list construction in a later chapter. We’ll cover how one should organize their to-do list to be flexible and adaptable to healthy distraction. But for now, here’s the greatest secret to getting things done: a focus lab.
You’ll also hear this referred to as a “man cave” (or, so that I’m not sexist, a woman cave).
When referring to the focus lab, it’s much different than your typical man cave (i.e. one filled with beer, chicks and sports gear that smells like cheese and cabbage). For pretty nifty typical man-caves, check out this site: mancavesite.org
The Focus Lab
This can be a place in your house, your office, a bathroom (for reading, heh), or whatever. Bottom line: create quarantined environment that rids itself of distraction.
Setup for the Focus Lab: No TV, no video games, no magazines, no pets, no people, no phones, no computer (unless for writing, offline, or unless you’ve developed focus skills for browsing, which we’ll cover later). Do this a couple times per day. It’s focused hibernating. It’s healthy. First thing in the morning, I step into the cave to develop a foundation that centers on thought-provoking actions (reading and writing).
At the office, first-thing when I get in, I meet and greet, then shut the door. I get shit done. Then, I’ll solve others problems.
In Stephen King’s memoir, “On Writing,” he virtually dedicates a chapter to the importance of working in a cave. Here’s what he recommends for your “focus lab.”
If possible, there should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames to fool around with. If there’s a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a blank wall. For any writer, but the beginning writer in particular, it’s wise to eliminate every possible distraction.
The crazy focused scientist
I once read a tale of a renowned scientist who would get side-swiped with an idea and proceed to hibernate in his lab for weeks. He would tirelessly work on the idea until he felt it was finished. According to his assistant, the man worked seemingly insane amounts of hours. The only time he would come out was for food. And it was brief. The assistant had one responsibility: guard his cave.
While this may be a little overboard for most professions, it’s important to apply some degree of this characteristic or productivity style to your work. The degree in which you apply is on you to determine. For me, I try to balance out my day by hibernating in my focus cave about two times/day.
“I hear dead people”
When you study the works and biographies of successful people, you’ll often run into their reliance on a focus lab. Oftentimes, they’ll literally cite voices and inspirations that are only heard when they’re in their cave.
When Stephen King concludes that the cave is critical to focus and success, he touches on the voice (or the muse):
But you need the room, you need the door, and you need the determination to shut the door. You need a concrete goal, as well. The lnger you keep to these basics, the easier the act of writing will become. Don’t wait for the muse. As I’ve said he’s a hard-headed guy who’s not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be every day from nine ’til noon or seven ’til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up, chomping his cigar and making his magic.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of bestseller, Eat Pray Love, cites a voice of inspiration in her TED address.
In Napoleon Hill’s classic work, “Think and Grow Rich,” he cites his imaginary thought board of directors.
Bottom line
There are a wealth of other successful leaders around the world that cite the same experiences and practices. In my case, I’m able to gather thoughts and ideas that I’ve taken mental note of, focus that thought and actually apply it. I’m not into “hearing people,” or demons, but rather hearing my own thoughts and having them disentangle themselves once I write them down. And this only arises when I’m in my focus lab.
Action item: create your lab and establish the habit of thinking in that cave first-thing in the morning.
Any other good examples of a person working away in a focus lab? Post a comment, and I may include the example in the book (I’ll give props to you, of course).
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