Most people manage tasks. Winners manage attention. These ten toolkits help you identify what deserves your focus, eliminate everything else, and protect your attention like the finite resource it is.
1. The Strategic Altitude Ladder
How to apply it: Set priorities at three altitudes—mixing them destroys focus.
The ladder method:
30,000 feet: Life mission (years)
10,000 feet: Quarterly rocks (months)
Ground level: Daily actions (hours)
Never mix altitudes
Altitude examples: Life: Build generational wealth Quarter: Launch first product Daily: Write 500 words
Mixing fails: Checking email (ground) during strategy (30,000)
Your ladder: Morning: 30,000 ft thinking Midday: 10,000 ft planning Afternoon: Ground execution Never blend levels
Think: "Altitude confusion kills focus—separate strategy from tactics"
2. The One Thing Finder
How to apply it: Find the ONE thing that makes everything else easier or unnecessary.
The finder question: "What's the ONE thing I can do Such that by doing it Everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?" Answer = Only priority
One thing examples: Business: Get one paying customer (not perfect website) Health: Sleep 8 hours (enables everything) Relationship: Daily presence (not grand gestures) Career: Master core skill (not many mediocre)
Your finding: List 20 priorities Find the keystone Do only that Watch dominoes fall
Think: "Twenty priorities means zero priorities—find the one that unlocks all"
3. The Success Criteria Pre-Setter
How to apply it: Define what success looks like before starting—avoid infinite scope creep.
The pre-setting method: Before any project/goal: "Success = [specific outcome]" "Good enough = [minimum viable]" "Stop when = [clear endpoint]"
Pre-set examples: Project: "Success = 10 customers using it" Not: "Make it perfect"
Meeting: "Success = Decision on X" Not: "Discuss everything"
Your preset: Current priority lacking clarity? Define success now Hit it and stop Move to next
Think: "Undefined success is infinite work—preset to protect focus"
4. The No Template Library
How to apply it: Create ready-made "no" responses for common distractions.
The library method: List common requests Write polite "no" for each Save as templates Deploy instantly
Template examples: Meeting request: "Protecting deep work this week. Can we handle async?" "Quick favor": "I'm at capacity with current commitments" New project: "Sounds interesting. Not aligned with Q1 priorities"
Your library: Write 5 "no" templates today Use within 48 hours Guilt-free protection
Think: "Every yes is a no to something else—prepare your no's in advance"
5. The Energy-Impact Matrix
How to apply it: Prioritize by energy required vs. impact delivered.
The matrix quadrants: Low Energy + High Impact = DO FIRST High Energy + High Impact = Schedule carefully Low Energy + Low Impact = Batch or delegate High Energy + Low Impact = Eliminate
Matrix examples: DO FIRST: Key email (5 min, unlocks project) Schedule: Strategic planning (high both) Batch: Status updates (low both) Kill: Perfectionist tweaks (high energy, no impact)
Your matrix: Plot current tasks Find low energy/high impact Do those immediately Delete high energy/low impact
Think: "Energy is finite—spend on highest impact per unit"
6. The Protection Protocol
How to apply it: Design environmental and system protections for deep work.
The protocol layers: Physical: Door closed, phone away Digital: Internet blocked, notifications off Calendar: Blocked time, labeled "URGENT PROJECT" Social: Team knows not to interrupt
Protection example: 9-12am daily: Creation block Phone: Different room Computer: Writing app only Calendar: "Client Meeting" (fake) Result: 3 hours protected
Your protocol: Choose 3-hour daily block Install all protections Guard religiously Everything else fits around
Think: "Unprotected focus doesn't exist—build fortress around attention"
7. The Eisenhower Eliminator
How to apply it: Use urgent/important matrix to eliminate, not just organize.
The elimination method: Important + Urgent: Do now (rare) Important + Not Urgent: Schedule (most things) Not Important + Urgent: Delegate/automate Not Important + Not Urgent: DELETE FOREVER
Elimination truths: 80% falls in "not important" "Urgent" usually isn't Important rarely is urgent Delete quadrant 4 entirely
Your elimination: List everything on plate Honestly categorize Delete bottom-right 25% Delegate bottom-left 25%
Think: "Half your list shouldn't exist—eliminate to focus"
8. The Commitment Inventory
How to apply it: Audit all commitments quarterly, cull aggressively.
The inventory process: List every commitment Rate impact: 1-10 Rate energy drain: 1-10 Keep only: Impact > 7, Drain < 5
Inventory results: Committee: Impact 3, Drain 8 = Quit Key project: Impact 9, Drain 4 = Keep Networking: Impact 2, Drain 6 = Exit Mentoring: Impact 8, Drain 3 = Expand
Your inventory: List all commitments Score honestly Quit bottom 50% Double down on top 20%
Think: "Commitments accumulate like barnacles—scrape regularly to maintain speed"
9. The Focus Multiplier
How to apply it: Find activities that improve multiple priorities simultaneously.
The multiplier method: List top 3 priorities Find single activity serving all That gets 80% of time
Multiplier examples: Priorities: Health + Relationships + Thinking Multiplier: Walking meetings with smart people
Priorities: Revenue + Brand + Network Multiplier: Creating valuable public content
Your multiplier: Map priority overlaps Design activity hitting multiple Replace single-purpose activities
Think: "Single-purpose is inefficient—multiply impact through overlap"
10. The Strategic Subtraction
How to apply it: Monthly remove something good to protect something great.
The subtraction ritual: Monthly question: "What good thing must I stop to protect great things?" Always answer Always cut something
Subtraction examples: Stop: Good networking events Protect: Great deep work
Stop: Good side project Protect: Great main focus
Stop: Good enough habits Protect: Great keystone habit
Your subtraction: List good activities Identify great ones Sacrifice good for great Repeat monthly
Think: "Good is enemy of great—subtract good to multiply great"
Integration System
Daily: Use One Thing question Weekly: Deploy No templates Monthly: Subtract something good Quarterly: Inventory all commitments
The priority formula: Clear success criteria + Protected time blocks + Strategic elimination + Regular subtraction = Unbreakable focus
Evolution:
- Week 1: Saying no feels hard
- Month 1: Focus periods emerging
- Month 6: Priorities crystal clear
- Year 1: Strategic machine
Master priorities: Protect focus like your life depends on it—because your best life does.
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