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Welcome to the Foundation Course of the Apprenticeship Program for LGOOs II & III - Batch 59!

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Welcome to the Foundation Course of the Apprenticeship Program for LGOOs II & III - Batch 59!

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This Padlet will serve as a landing page and virtual guide for our training. You can find links to the activity bulletin, reference materials, and other useful links that will be used during the training.

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Contact Person: Felisa O. Megia, Assistant Division Chief, LGA

Contact No.:  0920.9811314

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Link to Padlet: tinyurl.com/b59fc-pad

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Here are the edited and grouped house rules for better organization and clarity:

I. Identification and Dress Code:

Wear your ID at ALL TIMES.

Always be in proper attire.

Jeans and running/rubber shoes are allowed only on Fridays through Sundays.

II. Cleanliness and Waste Management:

Maintain cleanliness at all times and in all areas. CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) shall be observed.

Apprentices are responsible for the cleanliness of their own rooms and are not allowed to request hotel cleaning services.

III. Food and Deliveries:

No delivery of food and parcels is allowed.

Please refrain from eating or bringing food items into your room.

No eating is allowed during sessions. Apprentices may bring snacks, but these can only be consumed during designated meal and snack health breaks.

IV. Confidentiality and Media:

What happens here, stays here. Refrain from uploading or sharing photos and videos.

V. Prohibited Items and Activities:

Possession of prohibited drugs shall be reported to authorities immediately.

Smoking and/or Vaping is not allowed.

Appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, and irons are not permitted in the rooms; designated ironing areas will be assigned.

Washing of clothes is not allowed. A laundry schedule will be announced separately.

VI. Hotel Property and Damages:

Take care of hotel properties. For any damage incurred, appropriate and full payment shall be settled before checking out.

VII. Gadget and Vehicle Key Surrender (Specific to Program Start):

Apprentices must surrender all gadgets (including phones, laptops, iPads/tablets, smartwatches, cameras, and vaping equipment) prior to the start of the opening program on May 18, 2025.

Likewise, those who brought their cars are required to surrender their keys to the TMT.

VIII. Conduct and Behavior:

Apprentices are expected to OBSERVE punctuality at all times.

Apprentices are required to be conscious of their behavior outside the session halls and breakout rooms.

You are expected to stick to your assigned room and bed.

Do not sleep on an unoccupied bed and do not use its beddings.

IX. Room and Personal Belongings:

Bring your valuables with you every time you leave the room. Management is not responsible for any loss of valuables left inside the room.

X. Quiet Hours:

The lights will be turned off at 10:00 PM.

We kindly request that you avoid making unnecessary noise and any other disturbances.

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The Cohorts will lead/host the morning exercises and the flag-raising ceremonies

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Module 1 - My Learning Action Plan (MyLeAP) Template

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Module 1 - My Learning Action Plan (MyLeAP) Template

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Upload your MyLeAP here: tinyurl.com/b59m1-myleap

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You may be surprised to learn that one of your best wellness tools is actually a journal. Journaling offers an array of benefits - from easing stress to sparking self-discovery.

"Journaling is mindfulness in motion," says Lisann Valentin, a Shamanic life coach. It shines a spotlight on the invaluable things in your life that you might not always recognize.

Here are six other wide-ranging benefits of putting pen to paper - or fingers to keypad - along with how to start and actually sustain this helpful habit.

"Journaling can be a great pressure releasing valve when we feel overwhelmed or simply have a lot going on internally," says Amy Hoyt, PhD, founder of Mending Trauma.

Some research bears this out. For example, in , patients, families, and healthcare practitioners from a children's hospital reported a reduction in stress levels after completing this journaling exercise:

write three things you're grateful for

write the story of your life in six words

write three wishes you have

In a follow-up study 12 to 18 months later, 85 percent of the participants reported that the writing exercise was helpful. Fifty-nine percent continued using writing to cope with stress.

A 2018 research review suggests that writing about your deepest thoughts and feelings may contribute to:

In addition, a study of 70 adults with medical conditions and anxiety found that writing about positive experiences, like gratitude, for 12 weeks was linked to:

reduced distress

increased well-being

In the same study, after a month, participants reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. After the first and second months, participants reported greater resilience.

When negative or worried thoughts arise, it's easy to get caught up in their catastrophic stories. Jotting down your thoughts, however, "creates space and distance to consider them in a more objective way," says Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in New York City.

This distance is formally called cognitive defusion, a helpful concept from acceptance and commitment therapy. "The idea is that you are not your thoughts, emotions, or physical symptoms; instead, you are the context in which they occur," says Romanoff.

In other words, if your thoughts aren't serving you, you don't have to believe them. Instead, you can use journaling to see your thoughts as separate from you.

To further underscore this separation as you're journaling, try adding this phrase: "I'm having the thought that..."

Plenty of people move about their days either not noticing their emotions or actively pushing them down. The problem? Your emotions have a way of still popping up to the surface and affecting your actions - with or without our awareness.

Journaling gives you the opportunity to process your emotions in a safe, contained space. Naming the specific emotions you're experiencing and accepting them reduces their strength. That way, difficult emotions become less overwhelming and easier to manage.

Writing down your thoughts and feelings about a situation is the first step in understanding how best to proceed. Once you've calmed down a bit, you might find that your emotions are trying to tell you something:

Maybe your anger is a sign that you need to set a stronger boundary with someone. Or your sadness is nudging you to reach out and strengthen your connections.

Seeing your concerns, questions, and emotions in black and white gives you a clearer picture of your needs. Even a simple list of pros and cons can provide deeper insight into your desires - certainly more so than a jumble of thoughts knocking around in your head.

Think of yourself as a puzzle: You get to discover a different piece or pattern every single day. Journaling provides a much-needed pause to help us reconnect to ourselves and rediscover who we are. When we write, we learn our preferences, pain points, fears, favorites, and dreams.

We are constantly evolving. Journaling helps us to listen, bear witness to these changes, and simply get to know ourselves a whole lot better.
Find more tips to kick off your self-discovery journey.
Whether you're completely new to journaling or returning after a long hiatus, try these tips for building a sustainable habit.

Take a micro-step

At the start, try not to bite off more than you can chew. As Hoyt explains, "micro-steps are less likely to be rejected by the brain, whereas large sweeping changes can feel unsafe, and we may give up."

She suggests setting a timer for just one or two minutes a day for your journaling session.

Pick the simplest tools

Since everyone is different, start with whatever method is easiest to incorporate into your routine, says Romanoff, like:

writing in a blank doc on your laptop

using a note-taking app on your phone

putting pen to paper

Try free writing

Start by taking several deep breaths, noticing your immediate surroundings, and writing whatever comes to mind, says Lori L. Cangilla, PhD, a Pittsburg-based psychologist, avid journal writer, and member of the International Association for Journal Writing.

If you've drawn a blank, Cangilla notes, "describe that experience until something else comes forward in your journaling."

Let it all out

Write whatever thoughts and feelings arise, without censoring yourself. "It's your journal, so you can be as petty, blunt, and honest as you wish," says Cangilla.

To resist the temptation to edit, try writing as fast as possible, she adds.

Anchor your journaling

If you like structure, journal at the same time every day. For example, says Valentin, write your thoughts when you first wake up or process the day before bedtime.

You can also anchor your journaling to a well-established habit to make it more likely you'll stick with it. For example, journal:

before or after a nightly prayer

when you're in the car rider line

during a commercial break on TV

Connect the dots

To sharpen your self-awareness, you can jot down your feelings around a specific situation, day to day. For example, you might simply write:

This is what happened today.

I'm experiencing these feelings about it.

I'm thinking these thoughts.

Avoid re-reading painful entries

Cangilla advises against revisiting the raw details of difficult situations. If you feel you aren't done with a situation, she says, you can refocus on:

what you're grateful for in the situation

how you'll apply what you've learned from it

Explore a prompt

Prompts are a powerful way to get to know yourself better. They're also great when you aren't sure what to journal about.

Try these ideas from Lori Ryland, PhD, LP, a psychologist and chief clinical officer at Pinnacle Treatment Centers:

Write your favorite memories from childhood or your children's lives.

Go out into nature, and write about the experience.

Describe something you fear doing and why.

Describe something you love doing and why.

Describe yourself, including your personality and roles at work and home. Then describe yourself from the perspective of a close friend or family member.

If you wake up tomorrow having everything you want, what does this look like? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing with your time?

Switch shoes

If you're journaling about a disagreement, try writing with empathy. Consider the other person's perspective and motives behind some of their actions, says Romanoff.

Putting yourself in their shoes may help you gain clarity on the situation, reduce resentment, and possibly even find a solution.

Journaling has a range of benefits. Just writing a few minutes a day may help you reduce stress, boost your well-being, and better understand your needs.

Journaling provides a concrete method for learning who we are and identifying what we need.

To create a lasting journaling habit, start with several minutes - or more, depending on your preference. In your journal, you can explore something that's bothering you, write about the present moment, or play with a prompt.

Ultimately, the wonderful thing is that it's totally, completely up to you.
Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, has been writing for Psych Central and other websites for more than a decade on a wide range of topics. She's the author of the mental health journal "Vibe Check: Be Your Best You" (Sterling Teen). She's especially passionate about helping readers feel less alone and overwhelmed and more empowered. You can connect with Margarita on LinkedIn, or check out her writing at her website.

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15 Benefits of Journaling and Tips for Getting Started

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Journaling offers a host of benefits, from reducing stress to helping you work through interpersonal conflict. Here's a closer look at its specific benefits and how to make journaling a habit.

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The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

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https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/

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Carol Dweck: A Summary of The Two Mindsets

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A summary of Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, which explores our two mindsets (fixed and growth) and how they impact not only our attitudes and learning but also our outcomes.

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Critical Thinking is about Asking MATINO Questions

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Critical Thinking is about Asking MATINO Questions

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Menu

Critical thinking is a kind of thinking in which you question, analyse, interpret, evaluate and make a judgement about what you read, hear, say, or write. The term critical comes from the Greek word kritikos meaning "able to judge or discern". Good critical thinking is about making reliable judgements based on reliable information.

Applying critical thinking does not mean being negative or focusing on faults. It means being able to clarify your thinking so that you can break down a problem or a piece of information, interpret it and use that interpretation to arrive at an informed decision or judgement (for example designing a bridge, responding to an opinion piece or understanding a political motivation).

People who apply critical thinking consistently are said to have a critical thinking mindset, but no one is born this way. These are attributes which are learnt and improved through practice and application.

In the academic context, critical thinking is most commonly associated with arguments. You might be asked to think critically about other people's arguments or create your own. To become a better critical thinker, you therefore need to learn how to:

1. clarify your thinking purpose and context

2. question your sources of information

3. identify arguments

4. analyse sources and arguments

5. evaluate the arguments of others and

6. create or synthesise your own arguments.

As the image illustrates, critical thinking skills and attributes are interconnected and need to work together for your critical thinking to be effective.

Examples of critical thinking skills, mindsets and practices

Below are four examples of critical thinking skills, mindsets and practices. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all critical thinking skills because the skills you use will depend on your specific context.

Taking it further

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Menu Critical thinking is a kind of thinking in which you question, analyse, interpret, evaluate and make a judgement about what you read, hear, say, or write. The term critical comes from the Greek word kritikos meaning "able to judge or discern". Good critical thinking is about making reliable judgements based on reliable information.

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Roll With the Punches: How to Accept Feedback

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Time management is a fundamental quality that significantly enhances a leader's effectiveness. It involves the ability to prioritize tasks, allocate resources efficiently, and manage time effectively to achieve organizational goals. A leader proficient in time management can ensure that their team operates smoothly, meets deadlines, and maintains a healthy work-life balance.

Understanding time management as a key leadership quality is essential for fostering a productive and efficient work environment. Leaders who excel in managing their time can inspire their teams to adopt similar practices, leading to increased productivity, reduced stress, and improved overall performance. This overview explores the various dimensions of time management in leadership, including its key points, benefits, challenges, future trends, best practices, real-world case studies, and concludes with its overall significance.

Key Points

Time management in leadership encompasses several fundamental aspects that contribute to an effective and organized workplace. These elements ensure that leaders can guide their teams with clarity and purpose, driving sustained progress and achievement.

Prioritization: Identifying and focusing on the most important tasks and objectives to ensure that efforts are directed towards high-impact areas.

Planning and Scheduling: Creating detailed plans and schedules to organize tasks, allocate time efficiently, and meet deadlines.

Delegation: Assigning tasks to team members based on their strengths and capabilities, ensuring optimal use of resources.

Goal Setting: Establishing specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to provide direction and motivation for the team.

Time Allocation: Distributing time effectively among various tasks and responsibilities to maintain productivity and balance.

Focus and Discipline: Maintaining concentration on tasks and avoiding distractions to ensure efficient completion of work.

Adaptability: Adjusting plans and schedules as needed to accommodate changes and unexpected challenges.

Benefits

Emphasizing time management as a leadership quality offers numerous advantages for both leaders and their organizations. These benefits contribute to a structured and efficient work environment, promoting sustained growth and success.

Increased Productivity: Effective time management leads to higher levels of productivity by ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and on time.

Improved Work-Life Balance: Leaders who manage their time well can set an example for their teams, promoting a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Enhanced Decision-Making: Allocating sufficient time for decision-making processes results in more informed and strategic choices.

Reduced Stress: Proper time management helps prevent overwhelm and reduces stress by ensuring that workloads are manageable.

Better Resource Utilization: Efficiently allocating time and resources maximizes the use of available assets, reducing waste and increasing effectiveness.

Greater Team Morale: A well-organized work environment fosters a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction among team members.

Enhanced Accountability: Clear timelines and responsibilities promote accountability, ensuring that team members are committed to their roles.

Challenges

While time management is a vital leadership quality, effectively embodying it can present several challenges. Leaders must navigate these obstacles to maintain their time management practices without compromising other critical aspects of leadership.

Balancing Multiple Responsibilities: Managing various tasks and roles simultaneously can make it difficult to allocate time effectively.

Overcoming Procrastination: Leaders must overcome tendencies to delay tasks, ensuring that important work is prioritized and completed on time.

Handling Unexpected Interruptions: Unforeseen events or emergencies can disrupt planned schedules, requiring leaders to adapt quickly.

Delegating Appropriately: Knowing when and how to delegate tasks effectively to prevent overburdening oneself while empowering team members.

Maintaining Consistency: Ensuring that time management practices are consistently applied across all tasks and projects.

Time Allocation for Strategic Thinking: Leaders must find time to engage in strategic planning and reflection amidst daily operational demands.

Future Trends

The role of time management in leadership is evolving, influenced by technological advancements, changing workplace dynamics, and societal shifts. Emerging trends are shaping how leaders prioritize and demonstrate time management within their organizations.

Remote and Hybrid Work Models: Adapting time management strategies to support and manage distributed and remote teams effectively.

Integration with Technology: Leveraging digital tools and applications to enhance time management, productivity, and scheduling.

Emphasis on Mental Health: Incorporating time management practices that promote mental well-being and prevent burnout.

Agile Methodologies: Adopting agile frameworks to improve flexibility and responsiveness in time management and project execution.

Data-Driven Time Management: Utilizing data analytics to optimize time allocation, identify productivity trends, and make informed scheduling decisions.

Continuous Learning and Development: Encouraging leaders and teams to continuously develop time management skills through training and education.

Sustainable Leadership Practices: Combining time management with sustainable practices to ensure long-term organizational health and success.

Best Practices

To effectively integrate time management into leadership, adopting best practices can guide leaders in fostering a productive and efficient workforce.

Set Clear and Achievable Goals: Establish well-defined objectives that provide direction and purpose for the team.

Prioritize Tasks: Identify and focus on high-impact tasks and initiatives that align with strategic goals.

Implement Time Management Tools: Utilize digital tools such as calendars, project management software, and time-tracking applications to organize and manage tasks effectively.

Create Detailed Plans and Schedules: Develop comprehensive plans and schedules to ensure that tasks are completed on time and resources are allocated efficiently.

Delegate Effectively: Assign tasks to team members based on their strengths and capabilities, empowering them to take ownership of their responsibilities.

Minimize Distractions: Create a work environment that reduces unnecessary interruptions and maintains focus on essential tasks.

Encourage Time Blocking: Promote the use of time blocking techniques to dedicate specific periods to focused work and prevent multitasking.

Regularly Review Progress: Conduct regular check-ins and progress reviews to ensure that goals are being met and adjust plans as needed.

Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage team members to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life, preventing burnout and sustaining long-term productivity.

Lead by Example: Demonstrate effective time management practices in your own work, setting a standard for the team to follow.

Case Studies

Real-world examples illustrate how time management as a leadership quality can positively impact organizations:

Satya Nadella at Microsoft: Satya Nadella's strategic focus on cloud computing and artificial intelligence required meticulous time management to steer Microsoft's transformation, driving significant growth and innovation.

Howard Schultz at Starbucks: Howard Schultz effectively managed time during Starbucks' global expansion by prioritizing customer experience and employee engagement, ensuring consistent quality across all locations.

Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo: Indra Nooyi's ability to balance multiple strategic initiatives and oversee product diversification demonstrated exceptional time management skills, leading to sustained market growth.

Elon Musk at Tesla: Elon Musk's ambitious goals for electric vehicles and renewable energy demanded rigorous time management to coordinate multiple projects and drive Tesla to industry leadership.

Anne Mulcahy at Xerox: Anne Mulcahy's strategic turnaround of Xerox involved effective time management to prioritize cost-cutting measures and employee engagement, leading to the company's successful recovery.

Conclusion

Time management is a cornerstone quality that significantly enhances a leader's effectiveness, enabling them to guide their teams towards achieving organizational goals with clarity and efficiency. Leaders who embody time management drive higher levels of productivity, foster team cohesion, and maintain a steady course even amidst challenges and uncertainties. By understanding the key aspects of time management, leveraging its benefits, addressing its challenges, and embracing future trends, leaders can cultivate environments where both individuals and organizations thrive. Implementing best practices and learning from successful case studies further underscore the critical role of time management in achieving sustained organizational

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Discover why time management is essential for effective leadership. Learn key aspects, benefits, challenges, and best practices to build productive and successful teams.

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What Is Lewin’s Change Theory? Explanation, Pros and Cons

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Discover how Lewin’s Change Theory describes organizational transformation. Uncover its strengths, weaknesses, and practical applications.

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"Not in his goals but in his transitions man is great." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Bridges Transition Model helps organizations and individuals understand and more effectively manage and work through the personal and human side of change. The model identifies the three stages an individual experiences during change: Ending What Currently Is, The Neutral Zone and The New Beginning. Developed by William Bridges, the Bridges Transition Model has been used by leaders and management consultants for more than thirty years.

What is the difference between change and transition?

Change is the external event or situation that takes place: a new business strategy, a turn of leadership, a merger or a new product. The organization focuses on the desired outcome that the change will produce, which is generally in response to external events. Change can happen very quickly.

Transition is the inner psychological process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the new situation that the change brings about. Empathetic leaders recognize that change can put people in crisis. The starting point for dealing with transition is not the outcome but the endings that people have in leaving the old situation behind.

Change will only be successful if leaders and organizations address the transition that people experience during change. Supporting people through transition, rather than pushing forward is essential if the change is to work as planned. This is key to capitalizing on opportunities for innovation and creating organizational resilience.

What are the stages of transition?

Endings

Transition starts with an ending. This is paradoxical but true. This first phase of transition begins when people identify what they are losing and learn how to manage these losses. They determine what is over and being left behind, and what they will keep. These may include relationships, processes, team members or locations.

Neutral Zone

The second step of transition comes after letting go: the neutral zone. People go through an in-between time when the old is gone but the new isn't fully operational. It is when the critical psychological realignments and repatternings take place. It is the very core of the transition process. This is the time between the old reality and sense of identity and the new one. People are creating new processes and learning what their new roles will be. They are in flux and may feel confusion and distress. The neutral zone is the seedbed for new beginnings.

New Beginnings

Beginnings involve new understandings, values and attitudes. Beginnings are marked by a release of energy in a new direction - they are an expression of a fresh identity. Well-managed transitions allow people to establish new roles with an understanding of their purpose, the part they play, and how to contribute and participate most effectively. As a result, they feel reoriented and renewed.

What is the transition management process?

Transition management in organizations addresses the inner psychological process that people experience during change. Successful transition management involves these steps:

1. Communicating with the organization about why the change is needed.

2. Collecting information from those affected by the change to understand its impact on them. Gaining their investment in the outcome.

3. Doing an audit of the organizations' transition readiness.

4. Educating leaders about how the change will affect individuals in the organization to manage the transition effectively.

5. Monitoring the progress of individuals as they go through the three stages of transition.

6. Helping individuals understand how they can positively contribute to the change and the importance of their role in the organization.

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Bridges Transition Model | William Bridges Associates

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The Bridges Transition Model helps organizations and individuals understand and more effectively manage and work through the personal and human side of change. The model identifies the three stages an individual experiences during change: Ending What Currently Is, The Neutral Zone and The New Beginning.

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What So What Now What Critical Reflection Model.docx

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Mr. Nichols, who heads up a Communications Program at the University of Minnesota, is nationally known for his many articles and lectures on communication problems. In 1951-1952 he served as President of the National Society for the Study of Communication, an organization chartered to make a continuing and systematic study of communication as a means to building more harmonious relations within groups and among individuals. He has also served on the editorial boards of two national publications, has taught in a wide variety of adult education programs, and has been President of the State Speech Teachers Associations in Iowa and Minnesota.

Mr. Stevens is a free-lance writer and a consultant on oral presentation to a number of leading companies and also is affiliated with Management Development Associates of New York. For two years he served as News Editor and Newscaster for educational radio station WSUI in Iowa City. He was doing research on the comprehension of news writing and broadcasting at the University of Iowa when he met Mr. Nichols. They collaborated on some short articles on listening and now have a book coming out on the subject-Are You Listening? (McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1957).

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Recently the top executives of a major manufacturing plant in the Chicago area were asked to survey the role that listening plays in their work. Later, an executive seminar on listening was held. Here are three typical comments made by participants: "Frankly, I had never thought of listening as an important subject by itself.

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One of the best insights on what true productivity means in the 21 st century dates back to 1890. In his book The Principles of Psychology, Vol.1, William James wrote a simple statement that's packed with meaning: "My experience is what I agree to attend to."

Your attention determines the experiences you have, and the experiences you have determine the life you live. Or said another way: you must control your attention to control your life. Today, in a world where so many experiences are blended together - where we can work from home (or a train or a plane or a beach), watch our kids on a nanny-cam from work, and distraction is always just a thumb-swipe away - has that ever been more true?

Attention Management

To be consistently productive and manage stress better, we must strengthen our skill in attention management.

Attention management is the practice of controlling distractions, being present in the moment, finding flow, and maximizing focus, so that you can unleash your genius. It's about being intentional instead of reactive. It is the ability to recognize when your attention is being stolen (or has the potential to be stolen) and to instead keep it focused on the activities you choose. Rather than allowing distractions to derail you, you choose where you direct your attention at any given moment, based on an understanding of your priorities and goals.

Better attention management leads to improved productivity, but it's about much more than checking things off a to-do list. The ultimate result is the ability to create a life of choice, around things that are important to you. It's more than just exercising focus. It's about taking back control over your time and your priorities.

Aspirations vs. Experiences

The leaders I work with tell me, "I believe in the power of mentoring and coaching my team members. The most important thing I can do as a leader is support them and encourage their growth. This is how I make a difference, and it's what gives me satisfaction at work."

But later in our conversation, I hear how their days actually go: "I spend a big chunk of my time on email and putting out fires. I started the year with a coaching plan for my team, but it's fallen by the wayside amid everything else that is going on. My one-on-ones with team members don't happen as often as I would like, and the content is too much 'trees' and not enough 'forest.'"

Even if you see yourself as a passionate advocate for coaching and mentoring, you won't have the impact you'd like if your actions and experiences don't reflect these values. As James said, your experience is what you attend to. And your experiences become your life. So if your attention continues getting diverted, and email, meetings, and "firefighting" consume your days, pretty soon weeks or months will have gone by and your life becomes full of the "experiences" you never really intended to have.

So why don't we just have the experiences we want to have, and create the lives we most want to lead? Why does this painful gulf exist between the selves we aspire to and how we spend our time?

The fact that James was thinking about this topic in the 19 th century shows that we've long wrestled with the conflict between our goals and values and the lure of distractions. But, of course, we live in a world with many more distractions than existed in the 1890s. When he published The Principles of Psychology, the telephone was brand-new. Today, we have internet-connected phones and other devices that are always with us, delivering a volume of information and communication James couldn't have imagined. There's a lot more competition for our attention.

Let's go back to our mentoring and coaching example. You could start each day intending to focus on developing your team. But those intentions can quickly get swept away in the rush of demands that characterize our workdays.

In this frenzied work environment, accomplishing the things that are most meaningful to you doesn't just happen. You can't leave it to chance. Your busy environment presents choice after choice every day about what you will attend to - and what your experiences will be.

Deliberately Choosing What You Attend To

This is where attention management offers a solution. It's a deliberate approach that puts you back in control. Practicing attention management means fighting back against the distractions and creating opportunities throughout your day to support your priorities. First, control external factors:

Control your technology. Remember, it's there to serve you, not the other way around! Decide to take control by turning off email and "push" notifications which are specifically designed to steal your attention. This will allow you to engage in more stretches of focused work on tasks and activities that you choose. As often as possible and especially when you're working, keep your phone silent and out of sight.

Control your environment. Set boundaries with others, especially in an open-office setting. For example, use headphones or put up a "do not disturb" sign when you need to focus. If that doesn't work, try going to a different part of your office, or even another floor of your building. If things are really bad, you can try teaming up with colleagues to designate a certain time of day, or day of the week, a "no distractions" day for everyone to do heads-down work.

But here's an overlooked truth: Our productivity suffers not just because we are distracted by outside interruptions, but also because our own brains, frazzled by today's frantic workplaces, become a source of distraction in and of themselves.

For example, the problem isn't just that an email interrupts your work. It's also the fact that being tethered to your email inbox conditions you to expect an interruption every few minutes, which chips away at your attention span. You then become so afraid of forgetting to do some small task - like sending an email or forwarding a document - that you start to do everything as soon as you've thought of it; but then you end up getting sucked into your overflowing inbox before you know it. Moreover, knowing that you have a catalog of all the world's knowledge at your fingertips - in terms of the internet on your smartphone - makes it difficult to be comfortable in a state of "I don't know," and hard to avoid the distracting temptation to "find out now."

So you must also learn to control internal factors.

Control your behavior. Use those times when your technology is tamed and your do-not-disturb sign is up to get used to single-tasking: open only one window on your computer screen, and give your full attention to one task until it's complete, or until a designated stopping point. Take breaks throughout the day where you step away from your computer. Try to "unplug" completely (no technology) for at least an hour or more, as often as you can. Try it for 15-20 minutes at first; then build up to an hour, or even 90 minutes.

Control your thoughts. For many of us, this is the hardest nut to crack, which is why I've left it to last. Minds are made to wander. Practice noticing when your mind is veering off in its own direction, and gently guide your focus back to where you want it. If you think of some important small task while you are doing focused work, jot it down on a notepad and come back to it later. Do the same with information you want to look up online.

Practicing attention management will not eliminate distractions from your day. But as you start to recognize when you become distracted, and build your "attention muscle" through habits like those above, you'll start to reclaim your life and devote more of yourself to what's really important to you. Don't allow distraction to derail your aspirations and intentions. Instead, control your attention to control your life.

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To Control Your Life, Control What You Pay Attention To

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One of the best insights on what true productivity means in the 21 st century dates back to 1890. In his book The Principles of Psychology, Vol.1, William James wrote a simple statement that's packed with meaning: "My experience is what I agree to attend to."