Imagine this…
You’re about to be handed a check for $50,000, but just as you reach for it, it vanishes into thin air.
Poof! Gone.
That’s exactly what might be happening to you right now…
No, there’s no magical disappearing check.
But every ping, notification, and “quick” email check is silently robbing you of something even more valuable: your ability to focus deeply.
Studies show that the average person loses 2.1 hours of productivity PER DAY to distractions.
Over a year, that’s a staggering 546 hours.
And for giggles, let’s just say we put those hours into our Amazon FBA business, and the business gets to a place where we are doing a consistent $20,000 a month with 25% profit margins…
That 546 hours is worth $60,000 dollars PER year…
Or ~$110 per hour.
That’s a full-time side income slipping through the cracks!
So today, I want to dive into 3 lessons from one of my favorite books called Deep Work by Cal Newport.
To help us not only take back this time but get HIGHLY more efficient with our time.
Sound fair? Cool.
Lesson 1: The Cost of Distraction
Did you know that it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus after an interruption?
Every text message, every Instagram reel, every Facebook check…
Is taking you fully out of a deep work session and resetting the timer before you actually get into a ‘Flow State’.
You remember those, right? Those times when everything was clicking and you were doing some of your best work effortlessly.
Who doesn’t want more of those?
Action Steps For More Flow States: Implement “Focus Blocks”
- Schedule 90-minute distraction-free work sessions where you only have ONE thing to work on.
- Turn off ALL notifications during these periods. Put that damn phone in another room if you have to!
- The one thing should be the most important task to push your life/business forward. Think of it like finding the biggest domino that if you knocked down, would make everything else easier, push the needle the furthest, and potentially even make other work tasks irrelevant
Lesson 2: The Shallow Work Trap
Responding to emails, checking social media, and attending meetings tricks our brains into thinking that we are making ‘progress’.
The truth is, most emailing back and forth doesn’t really get anywhere and most meetings are a complete waste of time.
Action Step: Audit Your Time
- For one week, log how you spend each hour of your workday.
- Identify where the most time is wasted and cut those tasks, or replace them with more high-leverage work.
- Time block your emails and replies to a certain time of the day.
- Don’t be afraid to tell whoever runs the meetings that I don’t bring any value here, and my time is better spent doing ‘x’. (this applies to people still in there 9-5 trying to get back some more time)
Lesson 3: The Power of Boredom
In our over-stimulating 21st century, we’ve lost the ability to be bored.
Yet, boredom is crucial for creativity, problem-solving, and getting sparks of motivation to get after challenging tasks.
Action Step: Practice Productive Meditation
- Meditate Daily (You can find guided ones on apps and YouTube videos)
- Go on walks (NO PHONE)
- Be okay sitting there doing nothing until you know what to do next
- When you have distraction-free downtime, you can challenge yourself to try and think deeply about what you are trying to accomplish. Whether on trying to figure out how to get more Amazon sales and how to scale, or which supplier I think is the best to move forward with. This is the ultimate time for deep problem-solving. Perfect when commuting and walking.
Remember, in a world where everyone is distracted, the ability to focus deeply is your superpower.