“What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”

- From The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

“When you switch from Task A to Task B, your attention doesn’t immediately follow – a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task. People experiencing attention residue after switching tasks are likely to demonstrate poor performance on that next task.” So even if you don’t try to multi-task and focus on just one thing at a time, each time you switch to a new task you are getting sub-optimal performance on the new task.”

- From Deep Work by Cal Newport

“Be wary of letting random emails chip away at your productivity—life is too short to let strangers dictate what you do with your day.”

- From Unsubscribe by Jocelyn K. Glei

“Every time you check your email or another message service, you’re basically saying ‘Does any random person need my time right now?’ And if you respond right away, you’re sending another signal to both them and to yourself: ‘I’ll stop what I’m doing to put other people’s priorities ahead of mine no matter who they are or what they want.’ Spelled out, this sounds insane. But instant-response insanity is our culture’s default behavior.”

- From Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

"It's hard to build momentum if you're dividing your attention."

- James Clear

“The first discipline is to focus your finest efforts on the one or two goals that will make all the difference, instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals. Execution starts with focus.“

- From The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling

“20% of what we do leads to 80% of the results; but 80% of what we do leads to only 20%. We are wasting 80% of our time on low-value outcomes.”

- From The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch

“High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus). To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.”

- From Deep Work by Cal Newport

“Productivity can be boiled down to one word - FOCUS. There are two types of focus you need to master productivity. First the ability to manage distractions so that you can focus moment-to-moment on the task at hand, and second, the skill of focusing on what’s truly important to you in the big picture, so you don’t waste your day on stupid stuff.”

- From The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins

“Success requires us to do the first things first. Choose to use your time wisely. Figure out what really matters to you and then use the rest of the steps to build habits that allow you to focus your time on it.”

- From The Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

"Live the Pareto Principle lifestyle:

Relationships. Who are the few people that have the most positive impact on my life? Spend more time with them.

Priorities. What are the few actions that have the most positive impact on my day? Prioritize them.

Learning. What are the few information sources I learn the most from? Focus on them.

Stress. What are the few sources that cause most of the stress and friction in my life? Eliminate them."

- James Clear

“Whether at work or at home, the quality of your attention determines the quality of your life. At work, the more attention you give to what’s in front of you, the more productive you become. At home, the more attention you devote to what’s in front of you, the more meaningful your life becomes.”

- From Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey

“To enjoy the kind of experience you want rather than enduring the kind that you feel stuck with, you have to take charge of your attention. Far more than you may realize, your experience, your world, and even your self are the creations of what you focus on. From distressing sights to soothing sounds, protean thoughts to roiling emotions, the targets of your attention are the building blocks of your life.”

- From Rapt by Winifred Gallagher

“20% of what we do leads to 80% of the results; but 80% of what we do leads to only 20%. We are wasting 80% of our time on low-value outcomes….calm down, work less and target a limited number of very valuable goals where the 80/20 Principle will work for us.”

- From The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch

“Success has always gone to those who could apply their talents in a single-minded manner over an extended period of time to achieve a given outcome.”

- From Unsubscribe by Jocelyn K. Glei

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”

- David Steindl-Rast

“You must say ‘No’ to unexpected opportunities in order to say ‘Yes’ to your priorities.” 

- From Unsubscribe by Jocelyn K. Glei

"The myth is that there isn't enough time. There is plenty of time. There isn't enough focus with the time you have. You win by directing your attention toward better things."

- James Clear

“Clarity is power.”

- Tony Robbins

“Concentrate all your thoughts on the task at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

- Alexander Graham Bell