Do you know what it is? Do you know how to choose wisely?

1999: from the first draft of my first book, Simplicity… The hardest work is
figuring out what to do in a world of infinite choices. What is the cost of
confusion and the value of clarity? (Back then I estimated the cost to the
U.S. economy to be about 1.3 trillion dollars.) Before you worry about anything that can be captured on balance sheets, please consider this: Are there enough people out there who can cut through clutter and crap, and who can think their way out of overload and lack of clarity?

2015: It’s worse.

Your biggest, toughest, hundreds-of-times-a-day choice is how to kick your daily EarEyeMind Candy Addiction.

The toughest competitive challenge you face every day is the competition for your time and attention…both of which are limited, both of which are becoming more valuable every day.

Recent research from Microsoft found that, due to smart phones, mobile tech and all apps, we now have the attention span of a goldfish! We all have ADD!

From my research and tool box…

The Cost Remains Too High: You lose anywhere between 2 to 4 hrs per day due to unclear communication from others made worse by your addiction to EarEyeMind Candy.

The Solution Isn’t What You Think It Is: While your tech and apps keep
getting better and should be fully leveraged, those should NOT be your primary solution. They’re ALSO part of the problem. The more you use technological
solutions, the more you’re sucked into CandyWorld.

Your Best Solution Begins with Your One Thing: Your deepest passion,
how you make a difference in the world, the one (or two or three) thing(s) that matter most to you. The people who are best at skipping CandyWorld and
staying focused on a daily basis are those who are constantly focused on how they’ll make a difference that day, and on what truly matters.

Shift Your Mind and the Solution Appears: Again, it’s NOT tech!
The 80/20 Rule for doubling your productivity:
80% is about the choices you make and how you think and prioritize, 20% is about using the best/right tools. So yes, use tools and filters effectively, but the bigger ROI is in changing your mindset and habits.

Once You Choose a Mindshift: Some everyday tips…

1. Schedule Candy Time. Nobody’s saying give up all your fun apps and social media connections. Just schedule a block of time for them and stick to it.

2. Push Back On or Ignore Work Vampires. The kind that constantly try to suck your time and attention dry. (Emailers, meeting inviters, compulsive cc:ers.) Either ignore them, auto-file them into deadzone folders, or define your own rules of engagement…and stick to them!

3. Segment Your Friends and Teammates. Platinum get your immediate
attention. Gold and Silver, sometime within the day. Bronze: DeadZone.

4. Every Quarter, Prune Your Channels. Less is more. Constantly prune your social media channels and connections.

5. Surf Less, Be Present More. Your connections, the real ones, really matter! Whenever you are connected with them, be fully present.

Reminder: The biggest competition in the future will be for your time and
attention. Every day you will make hundreds of choices about who and what
gets them. Choose wisely.

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