Editor’s Note: Recently, I read a book, titled Focus, by Leo Babauta, a well recognized blogger. I have been a big fan of Leo’s blogs, Zen Habits and Write to Done for a couple years now, so I decided it was time to do an interview. Below is the excerpt of this interview with Leo.
Hi Leo,
I hope you had a good year. Time has flown by since I first contacted you to do an interview. While I have been a fan of your blogs, Zen Habits and Write to Done for a long time, I have finally gotten around to reading your Focus eBook.
I found this book very relevant in today’s world of over-stimulation, or as your book called it, The Age of Distraction.
As someone who works at home on a computer all day, I can relate to this – I call it “Shiny Object Syndrome.” Without further ado, let’s get started.
1. What can an online (or offline) business owner do to find more balance?
Leo: It’s important to make time for things other than work. Notice that I said “make time” — that means you must consciously create space for other things. Find things you’re interested in, that make you happy: exercise, family, friends, a hobby, creating in some way. Then create the time for it by reducing time wasters such as TV or cutting back on work. This balance helps us to stay sane.
2. What are the most successful methods that you have found for ignoring distractions and staying focused?
Leo: You ignore distractions by consciously clearing them. They won’t go away otherwise — you have to turn off notifications and close your email and Twitter and Facebook and news. That’s tough to do for many people because they’re addicted to them or fear what will happen if they don’t stay updated. So try a mini-test: close those things just for an hour or two and see what happens. Clear all distractions but one task and find out if anything bad happens.
3. When running your own business, especially from home, it’s difficult for many of us to “leave the office.” Any suggestions?
Leo: It’s incredibly important to have a time when you shut off work. That means a definite time: 5 pm or 7 pm or whatever works for your business. Shut it off and let people know you’re not available after that time. Then make it an unbreakable rule not to check email or take calls or whatever else comes into your life from work. Do something fun or relaxing and learn to be present while you’re doing it.
4. Any words of advice to people who always have to stay connected?
Leo: Most people don’t really need to stay connected, but as I said they fear not being in touch. Again, try disconnecting for a little while and see what happens. If you absolutely need to be connected all the time for some reason, see if you can at least set 10-15 minute periods where you close things and find peace and focus. For the rest of us, the world won’t end if we disconnect. In fact, I would wager you could go an entire day or three without being connected and (gasp!) the world wouldn’t collapse.
5. I know you mentioned in your book the benefits of being disconnected, would you mind touching on a few of these reasons?
Leo: It’s absolutely beautiful. Your mind finds peace and is no longer fragmented into a million tiny pieces. You are able to think and to listen and to find solitude, which is unquestionably necessary for creating. You can get things done and read and find time for the important things. Your brain becomes refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. We need this refresh and we too often don’t get it.
6. Let’s say we know these benefits of disconnecting, but we just can’t seem to kick the habit. Any recommendations on how to do it?
Leo: Small steps. Do it for 5 minutes. Then connect for 10 minutes, and shut off for 5 minutes. Repeat. See if anything bad happens, or if you find renewed focus. If this works, keep doing it until you see the benefits of disconnecting. Then do 10 minutes of disconnecting, 10 minutes of connecting. Repeat for a couple days. Later do 15 disconnected and 10 connected, then 20 disconnected and 10 connected, and so on until you can go an entire hour. It’s bliss.
7. What are your favorite “focus rituals”?
Leo: I like to read paper books with no Internet on. I like to walk with no mobile device and be free of the pull of the Internet. I like to write in a place with no Internet so I can get things done. I like to do email with everything else closed so I can process it quickly. I like to shut off the world and spend time with my kids, or go on a walk with my wife with nothing else on our minds but each other. I like to run and run and have nothing but me and the road.
8. Can you share some of the tools to get rid of distractions that some of us may need to use?
Leo: There are tools such as Freedom that will block the Internet, and distraction-free writing tools such as WriteRoom and OmmWriter and Q10. I like to read long-form Internet articles with Instapaper. But the best tool of all is your mind: you have to decide to clear everything and focus on one thing.
9. How can a person prioritize their to-do list in order to stay focused on the task at hand?
Leo: Just pick one thing to do. Have a little piece of paper with just one thing on it. You might have other things to do, but if you can only pick one, you’ll pick something really important. Something that will make your day seem worthwhile. Focus on just that — not email or news or anything else but that one task. Once it’s done, get a few smaller tasks done like email, then write down your next most important task and focus on that. Repeat.
10. Last question regarding Focus, what last bit of advice would you give someone who is really struggling with lack of focus, or distractions?
Leo: Go somewhere with no Internet. You’ll get a ton done. Once you see how great that is, you’ll see it’s possible and it’s perfection.
Thank you for answering these questions. I also want to ask a few more minutes to ask you some general questions on your blogging success.
Julie: You have been quite successful in your blogging career. What advice can you give someone who wants to have a long-term successful blog?
Leo: Focus on one thing and one thing only: creating amazing content that helps people with their problems. Show them how to do things they want to do. That’s all. Don’t worry about branding or design or stats or MailChimp or Aweber or ads or widgets or Twitter or all that other crap. Create amazing things and people will come.
Julie: Are there any pet peeves or things that you see on other people’s blogs that could be suppressing their success?
Leo: Too many posts about nothing that a reader really cares about. Too much clutter aside from the actual articles. Too many ads and promotional stuff instead of great content.
Julie: Lastly, it is a new year. How important is goal setting for at-home business workers?
Leo: More important is finding one thing that you’re absolutely passionate about and pouring yourself into it completely. Clear away all else and just focus on that one thing. It’ll be the best thing you’ve done.
Julie: Any goals for this year you would like to share?
Leo: I don’t do goals anymore. I pick something I’m passionate about and work on that. It works brilliantly. I’m free of worry about whether I’m achieving goals or on track or if I can pursue a new opportunity that’s not in my goals or if I’ve failed in my goals. All I do is pour myself into something I’m passionate about and I love it completely and without reservations.
Thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions.
Readers, If you are distracted, or feeling overwhelmed, take some time out, follow some of Leo’s words of advice, and FOCUS. You can get access to his book on Focus Manifesto or read his Zen Habits blog. Good luck in your blogging or online endeavors.