Focus
Direct your scarcest resource.
What It Is
The ability to choose what gets your attention — and sustain it long enough for work to compound. In an age of infinite distraction, focus is the foundation every other capability depends on. Without it, nothing deepens.
AI doesn't get distracted. But AI also can't choose what matters. Humans decide where to point attention — which problems to solve, which signals to amplify, which noise to ignore. Biological agents set direction. Phygital agents execute at scale. Direction without focus is chaos.
Why It Matters
Attention is the bottleneck. Every capability on this page requires sustained focus to develop. Every output worth producing requires deep work to create.
| Without Focus | With Focus |
|---|---|
| Scattered effort | Compounding depth |
| Reactive to notifications | Proactive on priorities |
| Shallow on everything | Deep where it matters |
| "I was busy all day" | "I shipped the thing" |
Core Patterns
- Single-tasking — Do one thing. Multitasking is a myth for deep work.
- Environment design — Remove distractions before they test willpower
- Time blocks — Protect deep work windows like meetings with your most important client
- Energy matching — Deep work at peak energy. Admin at low energy. Never invert this.
- Attention residue — After switching tasks, your mind lingers. Minimise transitions to minimise waste.
How to Develop
- Start with 25-minute focus blocks — extend as the muscle builds
- Put your phone in another room during deep work
- Batch reactive work (email, messages) into defined windows
- Track where your attention actually goes for one week — the data will shock you
- End each work block by writing what to do next — tomorrow's focus starts today
The Shadow
Rigidity. Tunnel vision. Missing important signals because you're locked in. Focus without flexibility becomes stubbornness.
Archetype Connection
Primary: Engineer — sustained focus to build complex things Secondary: Philosopher — deep attention to find deep truth
Context
- Working Memory — Focus protects the cognitive buffer
- Planning — Focus without a plan is just staring
- Time and Energy — The resource you're directing
- Deep Work — Where focus produces output