Free to Focus

  “The bridge between dreams and achievement is taking massive, determined action. One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. No one understands this better than Michael Hyatt, and he’s engineered a new, easy-to-follow approach to harness this power in his new book Free to Focus.”

  Tony Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Unshakeable

  “Michael Hyatt is one of America’s leading experts in the area of productivity. He really knows his stuff! That’s why I’m so sure you can absolutely trust what you find in Free to Focus. It will push you to use your time well and to become a better version of the person you were created to be.”

  Dave Ramsey, bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio show host

  “I’ve been where you may be now—buried under a mountain of daily tasks, watching my biggest goals and most important projects slip further and further out of reach. Here’s the solution. Michael Hyatt has created a productivity system that really works. Free to Focus does not disappoint.”

  Lewis Howes, New York Times bestselling author, The School of Greatness

  “Get off the treadmill! Just running faster won’t get you where you want to be—unless you’re chasing the right things. Free to Focus offers a practical, flexible framework for centering your life around what matters most, and unleashing your best work every day. Michael Hyatt has helped thousands of people take back control of their lives, and he’ll do the same for you.

  Todd Henry, author, The Accidental Creative

  “Busyness is meaningless. What matters is consistently executing the work that actually matters. This book shows you how.”

  Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author, Deep Work and Digital Minimalism

  “Success, we are often told, requires backbreaking work and never-ending hours in the office. And then we meet the truly successful who seem to get more done in less time than anyone else. Michael Hyatt shines the light on the secrets of the most productive people in his new book, Free to Focus. With his proven methods and research, you’ll launch faster, go farther, and perform better than you thought possible.”

  Skip Prichard, CEO, OCLC, Inc., Wall Street Journal bestselling author, The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future

  “I’ve known Michael for a long time and this book is one of his best. He hasn’t just provided us with a huge chest full of tools, he reminds us why we need them and encourages us to reach for the right one for the job.”

  Bob Goff, New York Times bestselling author, Love Does and Everybody Always

  “At the end of the day, what you create in every area of your life is determined by your ability to focus. What you’ll find in Free to Focus is a working ‘owner’s manual’ on how to create that focus in every area of your life. Much of what you’ll find in this book will be new to you—and maybe even counterintuitive—but it’s data-driven from the thousands of clients that Michael has worked with. Read this book and find your focus.”

  Jeff Walker, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Launch

  “Michael Hyatt is one of the best leaders I know, and I am excited that he’s written Free to Focus. Michael’s use of thorough testing and research, along with his proven track record as a leader of established and start-up companies, translates into a book that is full of insights and practical steps. Leaders rely on smart systems to help them lead in the office as well as at home, and Free to Focus provides the kind of system that every smart leader craves.”

  John C. Maxwell, author, speaker, and leadership expert

  “I’ve had a dozen conversations over the years with friends that have involved the phrase, ‘How’s Hyatt doing it?’ The ‘it’ in question is ‘performing at such a high level and crushing his goals while still enjoying his life and family.’ Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder anymore because Hyatt has answered that question, and several others, in this fantastic book.”

  Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author, Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

  “You need a system to succeed, and Free to Focus can be that system. Michael’s no-nonsense, all-helpful advice can help anyone prioritize their life to do more of what’s important to them.”

  Chris Guillebeau, author, Side Hustle and The $100 Startup

  “Overwork is a pervasive form of personal sabotage. Michael Hyatt presents a well-researched but refreshing alternative that allows us to breathe, play, and connect while still accomplishing the very best we have to offer at work. This book will restore the inner peace that makes work—and life—worthwhile.”

  Dan Miller, New York Times bestselling author, 48 Days to the Work You Love

  “Free to Focus is terrific. Applying Michael Hyatt’s insights from this book will help leaders, executives, individual contributors, teachers, coaches, and moms and dads be more productive and purposeful. His framework and related action steps provide a clear path to greater freedom and increased effectiveness.”

  Tim Tassopoulos, president and COO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

  “Don’t work on another project, don’t say yes to another opportunity or tackle another task before reading this book. It’s that important! Hyatt’s Free to Focus is my new productivity framework for finding the high-leverage work and maintaining the daily focus I need to see big results on the projects that matter most.”

  Amy Porterfield, host, The Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast

  “If you’re desperate to tame your to-do list, look no further. Michael Hyatt has a rare genius for cutting complexity and creating simple, practical solutions. Free to Focus delivers real results.”

  Hal Elrod, international bestselling author, The Miracle Morning

  “There are 1,440 minutes in a day, and once they’re gone, you never get them back. Michael Hyatt has written a fantastic guide—filled with actionable advice and tools—to maximize your energy, your focus, and results.”

  Kevin Kruse, New York Times bestselling author, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management

  “Michael Hyatt’s practical approach to productivity isn’t just another tactical guide filled with good ideas—it’s a comprehensive strategy for overhauling your life. It’s not just about getting more done, but getting the right things done—and that starts by knowing where you want to go.”

  Ruth Soukup, New York Times bestselling author, Do It Scared

  “Great stories are thought through before they’re written. Great lives are the same. Mike gives us a framework to plan our lives in such a way that we won’t have to experience regret. This is a great book.”

  Donald Miller, New York Times bestselling author; founder and CEO, StoryBrand

  “Michael Hyatt masterfully blends the best research available with practical steps to help people finally understand what’s important—learning to focus and radically improve their productivity. Free to Focus is filled with compelling, real-life stories of people who achieved extraordinary results based on the principles found in this book. I’m already using it!”

  Ian Morgan Cron, bestselling author, The Road Back to You

  “Michael Hyatt has written the guide to creating freedom and money without burning ourselves out in the process. At the end of Free to Focus, you will be able to work in a space where nothing is urgent, deadlines are met, and the workday truly ends at the office. Hyatt doesn’t just teach this material, he lives it.”

  Brooke Castillo, founder, The Life Coach School

  “My experience with leaders causes me to believe that our ability to focus has never been as challenged as it is today. In today’s ‘respond right now’ environment, focus is exactly what will change the game for many of us. For the past two decades, I have observed Michael’s immen
se ability to focus as the CEO of a large organization, an entrepreneur, an author, and a coach. This book is sure to elevate your productivity!”

  Daniel Harkavy, CEO and executive coach of Building Champions, coauthor (with Michael Hyatt) of bestselling book, Living Forward

  “Of all the skills you could master to improve your productivity and results, focus is king, and Michael Hyatt has outlined a masterful plan to achieve focus at the highest level. The steps in Free to Focus are clear, the strategies are actionable, and the lessons are timeless. Like me, you may find yourself wanting to reread this powerful book again and again.”

  Jeff Sanders, speaker and author, The 5 AM Miracle

  “Everyone has opinions on how to be more productive in our hyper-distracted world, but almost no one has a system backed by sound science. This book is engaging, inspiring, and backed by hard data. In this age where we seem to have more to do but less time than ever, Free to Focus is a guiding light for executing our most important goals and freeing up time for what matters most.”

  Shawn Stevenson, international bestselling author, Sleep Smarter

  “Michael Hyatt has been teaching about personal productivity for years, and it shows with this book. While reading Free to Focus, it was almost spooky the number of times my mind would make a straw man argument, and in the very next paragraph, Michael would raise the point of my resistance and resoundingly knock it down. In today’s world, being productive is all about making tough choices, and this book gives you the tools you need to do so.”

  David Sparks, podcast, author, and blogger, Mac Power Users

  “When we’re driven, we all wish we had more time. Why? So we could accomplish more, of course! And that’s what I love about Michael’s book Free to Focus. It’s not about jamming more into an already full day. This is about proven strategies, backed by tons of research that just happens to fly in the face of conventional wisdom—all of which helps you do more with less. If you’ve ever felt squeezed for time, wishing you could do more but wondering how to fit it all in, read this book today!”

  Stu McLaren, founder, the Tribe Course

  “If you were told that there was a system that would allow you to get more done and get more time back in your life, I suspect your response would be, ‘Yes, please!’ Michael Hyatt has done the research, tested the plan, and delivered those results to thousands. Now, in Free to Focus, Michael shows us how to move from being busy to being better.”

  Ken Coleman, podcast host, The Ken Coleman Show; author, The Proximity Principle

  “In Free to Focus, Michael Hyatt drops value bombs on every single page. My biggest aha moment was the power of no. The realization that every time I say yes to something I’m actually saying no to everything else I could be doing is a game changer. With Free to Focus, Michael Hyatt is truly on fire!”

  John Lee Dumas, podcast host, Entrepreneurs on Fire

  “Michael Hyatt has written a masterpiece on optimizing your productivity and hitting big goals. The book includes a comprehensive system for getting results and a filter for identifying the biggest needle-moving activities in your company. The thing I love most about this book is the system conforms to your life, so it’s relevant to anyone in any business. This is undoubtedly Michael’s Hyatt’s best book yet!”

  Josh Axe, founder, DrAxe.com; author, Eat Dirt; CVO, Ancient Nutrition Company

  “One of the best personal productivity books I’ve ever read. Free to Focus offers a winning formula for personal and professional achievement.”

  Mike Vardy, productivity strategist and founder of TimeCrafting

  “I love this book! Michael Hyatt has proven the system where it counts—in the field, with real entrepreneurs, and real corporate leaders. Free to Focus isn’t just a collection of ad hoc tips. It’s a system that’s been proven by research, a system that helps you get traction and make real progress on your most important projects. I highly recommend it.”

  Steven Robbins, creator, Get-it-Done Groups; podcast host, Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More

  “Whenever I hear of a new productivity topic, I always ask, ‘Has Michael Hyatt done research on this yet?’ As one of thousands of people who have gone through his Free to Focus course, I’m proud to claim Michael as my go-to authority.”

  Erik Fisher, host, Beyond the To-Do List podcast

  © 2019 by Michael Hyatt

  Published by Baker Books

  a division of Baker Publishing Group

  PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

  www.bakerbooks.com

  Ebook edition created 2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  ISBN 978-1-4934-0954-9

  Some names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

  The author is represented by Alive Literary Agency, 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.aliveliterary.com

  Contents

  Cover 1

  Endorsements 2

  Title Page 7

  Copyright Page 8

  Stepping into Focus 11

  STEP 1 STOP

  1. FORMULATE: Decide What You Want 25

  2. EVALUATE: Determine Your Course 43

  3. REJUVENATE: Reenergize Your Mind and Body 65

  STEP 2 CUT

  4. ELIMINATE: Flex Your “No” Muscle 91

  5. AUTOMATE: Subtract Yourself from the Equation 115

  6. DELEGATE: Clone Yourself—or Better 137

  STEP 3 ACT

  7. CONSOLIDATE: Plan Your Ideal Week 161

  8. DESIGNATE: Prioritize Your Tasks 183

  9. ACTIVATE: Beat Interruptions and Distractions 205

  Put Your Focus to Work 223

  Acknowledgments 229

  Notes 233

  Index 245

  About the Author 251

  Back Ads 252

  Back Cover 256

  Stepping into Focus

  What will your life have been, in the end, but the sum total of everything you spent it focusing on?

  OLIVER BURKEMAN

  I think I’m having a heart attack!” Of all ways to end a relaxing dinner, this is among the worst.

  I was a publishing executive in Manhattan on business. A colleague and I were finishing a delicious meal after a busy day when the chest pain began. I didn’t want to concern my friend or embarrass myself, so I ignored it for a while, hoping it would pass. It didn’t. I smiled and laughed but heard less and less of what my friend was saying. I was beginning to panic but tried to keep up appearances. The pain intensified. The room closed in. Finally, I just blurted it out.

  My friend jumped into action. He paid our bill, hailed a cab, and rushed me to the nearest hospital. After some preliminary tests, the doctor reported that all my vitals were fine. I wasn’t having a heart attack after all. After a thorough checkup, my primary care physician didn’t find any problems either. I was okay! Except I wasn’t. I found myself back in the hospital two more times over the next year. Each of these events turned out exactly like the first. Doctors kept telling me my heart was good, but I knew something was wrong.

  In desperation, I made an appointment with one of the top cardiologists in Nashville, where I live. He ran me through a battery of tests and called me into his office as soon as the results came in. “Michael, your heart is fine,” he said. “In fact, you’re in great shape. Your problem is twofold: acid reflux . . . and stress.” He said a third of the people he sees for chest pains actually suffer from acid reflux, and most are neck-deep in stress. “Stress is something you need to address,” he warned me. “If you don’t m
ake this a priority, you could be back in here with a real heart problem.”

  I was exactly like the overworked, overstressed people he told me about. Work had been insane for as long as I could remember. It never seemed to slow down. At the time I was leading a division in my company, attempting a near-impossible turnaround (more on that later). I already had more priorities than I could count. I was being pulled a hundred different directions. I was the center of every process. I got every phone call, every email, every text. I was on duty 24/7 in a nonstop whirlwind of projects, meetings, and tasks—not to mention emergencies, interruptions, and distractions. My family was weary, my energy and enthusiasm were waning, and now my health was suffering. Something had to give.

  Life in the Distraction Economy

  My problem back then was doing too much—mostly by myself. Later I realized focusing on everything means focusing on nothing. It’s almost impossible to accomplish anything significant when you’re racing through an endless litany of tasks and emergencies. And yet this is how many of us spend our days, weeks, months, years—sometimes, our entire lives.

  We should know better by now. We’ve been doing business in the so-called Information Economy for decades. In 1969 and 1970 Johns Hopkins University and the Brookings Institution sponsored a series of conferences on the impact of information technology. One speaker, Herbert Simon, was a Carnegie Mellon professor of computer science and psychology who later won a Nobel for his work in economics. In his presentation, he warned that the growth of information could become a burden. Why? “Information consumes the attention of its recipients,” he explained, and “a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”1

  Information is no longer scarce. But attention is. In fact, in a world where information is freely available, focus becomes one of the most valuable commodities in the workplace. But for most of us, work is the hardest place to find it. The truth is we live and labor in the Distraction Economy. As journalist Oliver Burkeman says, “Your attention is being spammed all day long.”2 And stemming the flow of inputs and interruptions can seem impossible.