The New Habit Challenge: Can We Regain Our Focus More Readily By Allotting A Theme For Each Day?
Join our resident habit expert Rachel Gillett, other Fast Company staff, and Blue State Digital Chief Operating Officer Kate Swann on Friday, December 12 at 11 a.m. EST as we discuss what happened when we stayed on track with work themes.
In 2011, Jack Dorsey ran both Twitter and Square, putting in about 16 hours of work a day. With all the tasks and details Dorsey had to manage, not to mention the countless distractions and interruptions that come with being the boss of two companies, you can imagine how difficult it would be to keep focused and productive.
To get it all done and stay on track, Dorsey allotted a theme for each day, which he said allowed him to quickly recall and refocus on the day's task once a distraction was out of the way.
Here's what his schedule looked like:
Monday: Focus on management and running the company
Tuesday: Focus on product
Wednesday: Focus on marketing and communications and growth
Thursday: Focus on developers and partnerships
Friday: Focus on the company and the culture and recruiting
Saturday: Take day off to hike
Sunday: Focus on reflections, feedback, strategy, and getting ready for the rest of the week
For this week's habit challenge, several of us at Fast Company, along with Kate Swann, COO of technology agency Blue State Digital and a digital and innovation executive, plan to put Dorsey’s productivity hack to the test and see if the key for hyper-focus is allotting a theme for each day.
Join us for a live chat at 11 a.m. EST on Friday, December 12 to find out how it went, share your thoughts, and ask us questions.
Did you use themes to regain your focus? Tell us about your experience in the "make a comment" box below or join in the discussion on Friday.