Maura Nevel Thomas - Attention Management How to Create Success and Gain Productivity Every Day

Copyright 2019 by Maura Thomas

Cover and internal design 2019 by Sourcebooks

Cover design by Heather Morris/Sourcebooks

Sourcebooks, the colophon, and Simple Truths are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systemsexcept in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviewswithout permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. Sourcebooks is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.

Published by Simple Truths, an imprint of Sourcebooks

P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

(630) 961-3900

sourcebooks.com

This book is dedicated to my mentor, friend, and colleague, Dr. Valerie Young, for planting the seed of focus management more than twenty years ago.

Its also dedicated to Dr. John (Uncle Jack) Dovidio, for being a positive influence in my life, a guide and teacher in my professional career, and my go-to source for help understanding the technical aspects in my work.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in Attention Management ! My entire professional career has been about helping busy people improve their productivity, which I define as the ability to make progress on the results that are most significant to you, personally and professionally.

I know that smart, driven people like you have unique gifts to bring to the world, but its hard to offer those gifts when you are overworked, overtired, and overwhelmed. And my pursuit of productivity has led me to the discovery that time is not our problem, as we all have the same twenty-four hours in a day, and we cant control time.

Our problem now is one of distractionfrom our ever-present technology and its ability to deliver communication and information to us in unlimited ways all the time. This, in turn, has created expectations of immediate and constant availability, further fueling our need to stay connected, and therefore, our constant distraction. And since distraction is our problem, time management is not the solution. The antidote to distraction is attention. Our ability to manage our attention is our most important defense against a world that is constantly conspiring to steal it.

The competition for your attention has never been more heated. You cant purchase a product or service youve never heard of, so before a company can get your business, they must first get your attention. And this is increasingly difficult with so much noise.

There is continual innovation around ways to creatively capture your attention, with:

in-app and on-page advertising,

advertainment,

the proliferation of immediate communication tools,

push notifications,

and the rise of free services that arent really free but whose cost is actually your attention: the ability to serve you advertising (think Facebook and Google).

All of this means that attention is now our most valuable commodity. This is important to know if you are in business. However, as an individual, its critical to recognize that your only defense against this assault on your attention is your ability to control it. This is what I call attention management and why its the most important skill for you to master. Its important now, and it will only become more important in the future.

I am on a quest to solve those symptoms of distraction: feeling overworked, overtired, overstressed, and overstimulated. And to provide busy, driven people with tools and strategies to regain control of their lives and work so that they can live lives of choice rather than lives full of reaction and distraction. You can do more of the things that matter most to you and offer your unique gifts to the world every day. You can feel inspired and energized by your active life instead of stressed and overwhelmed. This book is my latest effort in support of that purpose. I am so happy you chose to read it, and Im excited for you to experience all the benefits of attention management!

Maura