3 Ways To Focus On One Thing At A Time

You’ve probably heard that focusing on one thing at a time is supportive of your ADHD brain.

You’ve probably also experienced how much the brain resists this advice.

Am I close?

If so, I think you might love episode 185 of the I’m Busy Being Awesome podcast.

In it, we’re exploring concrete strategies you can use today to help you focus your attention and create the measurable progress your brain loves. (Hello, dopamine!)

Whether you want to:

• Focus your attention on one task during work.
• Lock in one routine to simplify your day.
• Zoom in on one goal and stick with it for the long run.

Episode 185 has your name on it. 

You can listen to the episode above or stream it on your favorite podcasting app here.   

Prefer to read? No problem! Keep scrolling for the entire podcast transcript. 

In Episode #185: 3 Ways To Focus on One Thing At A Time, You Will Discover How To…

• Focus your attention on one task or project with less distraction
• Create a routine to simplify your day
• Zoom in on one goal and stick with it for the long run

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Episode #185: 3 Ways To Focus on One Thing At A Time (Transcript) 

Let’s talk about zooming in and focusing your attention on one thing today.

If you heard our last episode, it was part one of a two-part series on focus and attention and the power of constraining our focus on just one thing.

As a reminder, last week, we talked about the concept of constraint generally and why it IS incredibly challenging for the ADHD brain to step into the practice of focusing on one thing in certain areas of our life. Check out the podcast and episode here.

In this episode, we’re talking all about what we can do.

We’re exploring different tangible approaches that help us focus on one thing at a time in the following areas.

• Our day-to-day to-do lists
• Establishing routines and habits
• Sticking with one larger goal.

1. Focus on Day To Day Tasks (One At A Time)

So let’s begin zooming in on some actionable strategies for constraining our day-to-day tasks and projects.

When we think about focusing on one thing at a time when it comes to tasks, this is essentially the art of single-tasking.

It’s not…

• Having Slack or Messenger open on your second monitor “just in case.”
• Answering every text message the moment it buzzes on your desk.
• Grading papers and then quickly hopping to your inbox to see what messages arrived in the last 6 minutes.

Instead, it is intentionally choosing to focus on one thing for a defined period of time. In addition, especially when it comes to an ADHD brain, it’s really important that we’re closing out other distractions that might be vying for our attention, too.

When we single task, we are helping minimize external distractions, which means we only need to navigate the internal distractions.

Now, this is still no small feat; my internal mind chatter can be very distracting. But even so, it’s significantly less than dealing with both internal and external distractions together.

As we’ve explored in my episode on attention residue, when we single task, we help reduce that residue buildup that happens when we shift our attention from one thing to the next.

And when we reduce that attention residue, it creates space for greater accuracy and efficiency. Plus, it’s simply less taxing on our executive functions because we’re not constantly task-switching.

transitions are challenging for the ADHD brain

When we start and stop projects – especially projects that we might feel a lot of resistance to starting in the first place – it takes so much energy to get started after we step away.

However, when we can encourage our brain and give it the scaffolding it needs to zoom in on that one project for a designated amount of time, whether it’s 25 minutes, 45 minutes, or 90 minutes, we’ll find that we often have much greater clarity on the other side because our brain isn’t pulled in so many different directions.

And we’re able to work so much more efficiently overall.

Of course, we’ve talked about many different strategies to help us stay focused on one single task in different podcast episodes…

…From going full screen with our documents to using a different browser for work that’s logged out of all your personal sites, to putting all of your devices on do not disturb, there are many different ways to support our brain by reducing distraction.

Client Example

And today, I wanted to share a strategy that one of my clients from We’re Busy Being Awesome shared a couple of weeks ago that I thought was so fun and novel, which in my book, is the perfect recipe for an ADHD brain.

She explained that when she has lots of tasks on her list and is feeling pulled to jump from one thing to the next – this process helps her focus on one thing at a time…

• She writes each task on a separate piece of paper.
• Then she puts those pieces of paper in a stack on her desk where she works.
• And she tells herself she can only work on the task that’s at the top of the stack.

Now, I think this is such a brilliant way to gamify what the brain could otherwise think is a daunting task list.

It also comforts the anxious brain thinking, but what if I forget this? And what if I forget that? Because you can remind yourself, don’t worry. I have everything listed on these separate pieces of paper. And once I finish this one at the top of my list, we’ll get to the next one. One thing at a time.

Try This Exercise To Focus On One Daily Task At A Time

You could do the exercise my client used with individual sticky notes, note cards, and scratch paper. You could also write your tasks on separate pieces of paper and throw them in a hat or jar and pull them out at random. And if you’re worried about using paper, you can write the tasks in pencil and reuse them. Whatever works best for you.

And if, after listening to this first idea, you find yourself sold. If you decide this is the area you want to explore this week, I invite you to choose one activity or time of day that you want to implement your single-tasking practice.

You don’t have to do it everywhere. You don’t have to do it for the whole workday or all week.

Instead, choose one or two projects at work or one or two times throughout the week where you want to implement the strategy and see how it goes. Notice what works and adjust what doesn’t as you develop the best process for you.

2. Focus On One Thing At A Time: Habits & Routines

Alright, now let’s talk about focusing on a single habit or a single portion of a routine.

When we think about creating a new routine or habit, so many of us design these incredibly elaborate and complex plans. And for many of us, dreaming up these plans is actually quite fun. It’s exciting to consider how we might use our time and imagine the positive impact doing this routine or that habit could have.

But at some point in this process, we forget that we are humans and start building incredibly complex and demanding routines more appropriate for robots.

What’s more, our all-or-nothing black-and-white thinking sweeps in, saying…

“Not only do you have to stick with this routine built for a robot, but you also have to do it perfectly, all the time, and never miss it a day.”

I know it sounds extreme, but seriously… think about some of the routines you’ve set for yourself at different times in your life. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably laughing right now as you do.

So how do we apply focus on habits and routines?

This is where the concept of habit stacking comes in. I first learned about this concept from BJ Fogg in his book Tiny Habits, followed by James Clear in his book Atomic Habits.

Essentially, habit stacking is where you focus on one very small habit – hence the book titles tiny habits and atomic habits – and you pair it with something you’re already doing. Because you already have one repeated behavior locked in, you can use that behavior as a cue to start the next habit you want to establish.

Many of our brains hear this concept, and we think to ourselves, “but that’s such a small habit. That’s not actually going to do anything. That’s not actually going to make a difference.”

So we write it off. We don’t do anything. Or we instead create a multi-step, incredibly elaborate routine, and we do it for three days before getting bored, overwhelmed, or frustrated because we can’t keep up with it. Then we stop – adding more evidence to the evidence bank that routines and habits don’t work for us.

You see, when we can choose a very small step within a routine or a very tiny habit that gets us moving in the direction of our overarching goals, and we pair it with something that we’re already naturally doing, it helps us start establishing our identity as a person who does XYZ.

Examples Of Habit Stacking

After I press brew on my coffee, I sit down and meditate until my coffee is ready. In this situation, I am pairing my new meditation habit with my already well-established coffee habit. And I’m now stepping into the identity of a meditator.

Pairing the end of my workday with reviewing what I completed. And then once I have that practice locked in, I may add on a quick planning session where I map out what I want to complete the next day. And I’m stepping into the identity of someone who follows a shutdown routine.

Or let’s say I eventually want to establish an evaluation process after any project for work. And I begin by pausing after each project and asking myself…

• What worked?
• Once I have that locked in, then I add the next question of my evaluation process, which is what didn’t work?
• After practicing that for a little while, I add in the third question, which is what did I learn?
• And after practicing that for a bit, I add my final question, which is, what will I try next time?

This all starts from focusing on just one thing.

3. Focusing on One Goal At A Time

Then, we get to the final topic, which is focusing on one goal. Or, if you’re like many of my clients and myself, perhaps one personal goal and one career or business-based goal.

Now just like the other examples we’ve looked at, when we focus on one or two goals instead of trying to make significant progress in many goals, it allows us to…

• Put our full energy and effort into creating traction.
• Actually see the progress, which in turn…
• See that it’s working. We actually see that traction as opposed to spreading our efforts so thin and not seeing progress anywhere.

I’m telling you, this makes such a big difference.

Example of Focusing On One Thing At A Time

A couple of years ago now, I talked about the example of kicking five soccer balls down the field.

If you run back and forth between each of the different soccer balls, trying to get them all down the field at the same time, you’re not going to be nearly as efficient as when you focus on one ball, kick it down the field, and then run straight back to get the next.

When you clarify that ball and know exactly what you’re focused on, you will make much greater strides in your progress.

Plus, you don’t have to remind yourself where you’re at every time you return to the goal. Because you’re returning to it frequently enough, and you don’t have a bunch of attention residue switching from one major project to the next, you can keep the next steps front and center of mind.

How To Choose Just One Goal To Focus on

Now, I realize that it can feel incredibly challenging to choose which goal to work on.

I know the stories your brain says about everything is equally important; everything’s a fire; you need to get everything done now. In fact, I have a whole process to help people work through this goal confusion and create clarity for themselves.

So, I wanted to share the process you can use to help you narrow down and create some clarity and direction on which goal you want to pursue.

1. We start by getting all of our goal ideas out of our heads and onto paper.

2. Once you’ve done this, it’s time to check in with each one.

You’re looking to uncover which ones are full-body yeses and which ones are intellectual yeses. Which ones do your body open up to, and which ones do your body close down to? 

I know this might seem like a very strange question and a potentially weird place to start… and if this concept is unfamiliar to you, definitely skip back to episode 172, Procrastination, ADHD, and the Intellectual Yes, and it will make much more sense. But make sure you check in and note the goals you genuinely desire to do rather than the ones that stand out as an intellectual should. Because that is going to make all the difference in the long run. And it’s such a powerful way to help you narrow down your choice around the goal.

3. Once you’ve identified the goals you genuinely want to do, think about your medium-term and long-term plans generally.

Which goals from your list support them?

Do any stand out?

Of course, you don’t always have to set a goal that’s leading you toward long-term things. You could simply want to learn Norwegian because it sounds like fun.

However, this can be a helpful question when it seems like you have too many goals to choose from. Which one moves me toward my medium or long-term plans the most?

4. Next, spend time estimating the amount of time you might need to reach this goal.

I know this is a very challenging question to answer, especially for those of us who are time blind.

My general process for estimating larger goals is to:

• Break things down into very small steps
• Estimate the time for each one
• And then triple the total.

I know that sounds excessive, but I’m SUPER time blind, and I’m usually within the ballpark when I use this approach. Now, you may be much more aware of time than I am, and you may not need to have such an elaborate process. 

But whatever you do, I do encourage you to have an estimate of how much time that goal will take to complete and then be realistic with how much time you’re able to give in this current season.

• Is it a match?
• Do you have the capacity for it? If so, great! If not, then you get to make some decisions.
• Need to adjust your timeline?
• Do you want to take some other things off your plate to free up more time? Or do you want to choose something different for this season?

There is no right or wrong answer; rather, make sure you like your reasons for the decision.

Getting really honest with yourself about how much time you need and how much time you actually have in your budget will help you decide whether that’s the goal to focus on this season or not.

5. Check in with what resources you will need to attain this goal.

Do you need tools that you don’t yet have?

Maybe you want to remodel your bathroom, and you literally don’t have the physical tools.

Or perhaps you need the finances to fund that remodel.

If, upon exploring these questions, you find that you have two goals that seem equal in all things, but you have one with resources and one where you don’t have the resources that can help you prioritize and make a decision.

6. What skills or knowledge do you need to reach this goal?

If it’s something completely new to you, there may be a learning component involved.

For example, maybe you’re building a business or taking on a new management role at your company, and there are some skills you need to learn.

If that’s the case, where will you learn them? And are you allotting time for that when you mapped out the time budget?

All of this additional information can really help inform your decisions when choosing your goal, and it can help prevent the brain from believing you should be able to just “do it all and figure it out as you go.”

Because for most of us, that results in an overcommitted schedule, burnout, and more stories about not being a person who sets and reaches their goals.

And remember… when it comes down to it, you get to choose what you focus on. There is no right or wrong decision. Plus, if you’ve gone through all of these questions and you still have a few on the list, the best news is that they’re all great goals that you’re genuinely excited about and have time for. You can’t choose a bad one.

So pick your goal, remind yourself you love your reasons for it, and then start taking those first steps forward. Kick that soccer ball all the way down the field. Then, you can run back, celebrate your accomplishment, rest for a bit, and then switch to the next one. And you can go through your list, one by one, celebrating each success as you go.

Final thoughts

Alright my friends, that’s going to do it for us this week. If you’re enjoying the podcast or finding it helpful in working with your ADHD brain, would you be a rockstar and leave a review? I have simple instructions on how to do so right in the podcast show notes.

When you do, you’re helping me get these strategies to even more people who need them, and I truly appreciate it.

Also, have you grabbed the podcast roadmap yet? It has the most popular episodes all detailed for you so you can get yourself up to speed and ready to work with your ADHD brain. Access now!

Until next time, keep being awesome. I’ll talk with you soon.