How do you do your best work in a world that is designed to distract you?
From the constant notifications to the endless supply of entertainment, it can feel almost impossible to actually lock in and get into “deep work” mode.
Yet we all know that’s when our best work comes through.
Because there’s nothing like getting so involved in a project that time seems to just slide by until, next thing you know, hours have passed in what has felt like moments.
That’s the good stuff.
That’s when we create work that changes lives.
What we’re after
I personally long for the flow state.
Every day that I come to work and sit down at my desk, my hope is that I will be able to carve out at least one solid block of uninterrupted time to create.
Of course, it doesn’t always go that way, but at least I have a goal.
If I have learned anything in my years as a creator, artist, and entrepreneur, it’s that focus is the byproduct of elimination, not accumulation.
It requires intentionality and a constant revisiting of the basics.
Honestly, for me, it’s easy to go full Spartan mode when I can tell my creative time is out of whack.
But it’s much harder to maintain discipline as distractions slowly and steadily work their way back in.
Like a frog in water that starts at room temperature and is slowly brought to a boil (look it up).
It’s the small, daily attritions that slowly erode our ability to churn out work we’re proud of.
Not the big stuff.
So we need to get ahead of them.
Some practical tips
For me, this is a topic that should be revisited often.
Because I’d say I generally find myself in the unexpected place of “not doing good work” at least once or twice a year.
It’s like my habits slowly erode into distraction until, one day, I wake up and realize just what has been happening.
Sound familiar?
I’m willing to bet it’s not just me.
Because we all want to do better work, and because I believe the world only benefits from creative people creating at their highest level, here are five practical tips I use to hit the reset button when I find myself struggling to create work I’m proud of.
Put the phone away
The phone doesn’t go on the desk. It goes in the drawer. Or even better, in the other room.
Out of sight (eventually) out of mind.
Schedule creative time
Put it on the calendar. Set a meeting with yourself (that you can’t break) to make things.
This works wonders.
Set deadlines
Parkinson’s Law roughly states that the work we have to do will expand the time we give ourselves to do it. This is why we cram for tests and procrastinate until the last minute.
A self-imposed deadline is an excellent way to hack your brain into action.
Save consumption for after work
Watching, reading, or listening to anything but music during the work day destroys my ability to focus. It puts me in “consumer” mode instead of “creator” mode.
Motion begets motion, so be careful where your attention goes.
Ask someone to hold you accountable
Having a friend check in and ask you how your project is coming along is an amazing way to stick to it. Especially when it’s someone you respect and don’t want to disappoint.
Social pressure can work wonders.
Putting it all together
Look, I know this may not have a ton to do with marketing or branding or building a business from your creative work, but the truth is that there is no way any of is going to build anything of note if we can’t say “no” to the litany of daily distractions that come our way.
The phone will still be there.
Netflix will still be there.
YouTube will still be there.
But if we want to do our best work, we have to avoid those things.
We have to remove distractions and go to that place where time stands still and we become one with our craft.
Because that’s the whole point.
Not the product.
Not the money.
The process.
So as we approach the end of 2025, it might be worth doing some soul searching to determine how we can remove distractions from our lives and hit the reset button.
We all deserve to create our best work.
And the world does too.
How do you do your best work in a world that is designed to distract you?
From the constant notifications to the endless supply of entertainment, it can feel almost impossible to actually lock in and get into “deep work” mode.
Yet we all know that’s when our best work comes through.
Because there’s nothing like getting so involved in a project that time seems to just slide by until, next thing you know, hours have passed in what has felt like moments.
That’s the good stuff.
That’s when we create work that changes lives.
What we’re after
I personally long for the flow state.
Every day that I come to work and sit down at my desk, my hope is that I will be able to carve out at least one solid block of uninterrupted time to create.
Of course, it doesn’t always go that way, but at least I have a goal.
If I have learned anything in my years as a creator, artist, and entrepreneur, it’s that focus is the byproduct of elimination, not accumulation.
It requires intentionality and a constant revisiting of the basics.
Honestly, for me, it’s easy to go full Spartan mode when I can tell my creative time is out of whack.
But it’s much harder to maintain discipline as distractions slowly and steadily work their way back in.
Like a frog in water that starts at room temperature and is slowly brought to a boil (look it up).
It’s the small, daily attritions that slowly erode our ability to churn out work we’re proud of.
Not the big stuff.
So we need to get ahead of them.
Some practical tips
For me, this is a topic that should be revisited often.
Because I’d say I generally find myself in the unexpected place of “not doing good work” at least once or twice a year.
It’s like my habits slowly erode into distraction until, one day, I wake up and realize just what has been happening.
Sound familiar?
I’m willing to bet it’s not just me.
Because we all want to do better work, and because I believe the world only benefits from creative people creating at their highest level, here are five practical tips I use to hit the reset button when I find myself struggling to create work I’m proud of.
Put the phone away
The phone doesn’t go on the desk. It goes in the drawer. Or even better, in the other room.
Out of sight (eventually) out of mind.
Schedule creative time
Put it on the calendar. Set a meeting with yourself (that you can’t break) to make things.
This works wonders.
Set deadlines
Parkinson’s Law roughly states that the work we have to do will expand the time we give ourselves to do it. This is why we cram for tests and procrastinate until the last minute.
A self-imposed deadline is an excellent way to hack your brain into action.
Save consumption for after work
Watching, reading, or listening to anything but music during the work day destroys my ability to focus. It puts me in “consumer” mode instead of “creator” mode.
Motion begets motion, so be careful where your attention goes.
Ask someone to hold you accountable
Having a friend check in and ask you how your project is coming along is an amazing way to stick to it. Especially when it’s someone you respect and don’t want to disappoint.
Social pressure can work wonders.
Putting it all together
Look, I know this may not have a ton to do with marketing or branding or building a business from your creative work, but the truth is that there is no way any of is going to build anything of note if we can’t say “no” to the litany of daily distractions that come our way.
The phone will still be there.
Netflix will still be there.
YouTube will still be there.
But if we want to do our best work, we have to avoid those things.
We have to remove distractions and go to that place where time stands still and we become one with our craft.
Because that’s the whole point.
Not the product.
Not the money.
The process.
So as we approach the end of 2025, it might be worth doing some soul searching to determine how we can remove distractions from our lives and hit the reset button.
We all deserve to create our best work.
And the world does too.
How do you do your best work in a world that is designed to distract you?
From the constant notifications to the endless supply of entertainment, it can feel almost impossible to actually lock in and get into “deep work” mode.
Yet we all know that’s when our best work comes through.
Because there’s nothing like getting so involved in a project that time seems to just slide by until, next thing you know, hours have passed in what has felt like moments.
That’s the good stuff.
That’s when we create work that changes lives.
What we’re after
I personally long for the flow state.
Every day that I come to work and sit down at my desk, my hope is that I will be able to carve out at least one solid block of uninterrupted time to create.
Of course, it doesn’t always go that way, but at least I have a goal.
If I have learned anything in my years as a creator, artist, and entrepreneur, it’s that focus is the byproduct of elimination, not accumulation.
It requires intentionality and a constant revisiting of the basics.
Honestly, for me, it’s easy to go full Spartan mode when I can tell my creative time is out of whack.
But it’s much harder to maintain discipline as distractions slowly and steadily work their way back in.
Like a frog in water that starts at room temperature and is slowly brought to a boil (look it up).
It’s the small, daily attritions that slowly erode our ability to churn out work we’re proud of.
Not the big stuff.
So we need to get ahead of them.
Some practical tips
For me, this is a topic that should be revisited often.
Because I’d say I generally find myself in the unexpected place of “not doing good work” at least once or twice a year.
It’s like my habits slowly erode into distraction until, one day, I wake up and realize just what has been happening.
Sound familiar?
I’m willing to bet it’s not just me.
Because we all want to do better work, and because I believe the world only benefits from creative people creating at their highest level, here are five practical tips I use to hit the reset button when I find myself struggling to create work I’m proud of.
Put the phone away
The phone doesn’t go on the desk. It goes in the drawer. Or even better, in the other room.
Out of sight (eventually) out of mind.
Schedule creative time
Put it on the calendar. Set a meeting with yourself (that you can’t break) to make things.
This works wonders.
Set deadlines
Parkinson’s Law roughly states that the work we have to do will expand the time we give ourselves to do it. This is why we cram for tests and procrastinate until the last minute.
A self-imposed deadline is an excellent way to hack your brain into action.
Save consumption for after work
Watching, reading, or listening to anything but music during the work day destroys my ability to focus. It puts me in “consumer” mode instead of “creator” mode.
Motion begets motion, so be careful where your attention goes.
Ask someone to hold you accountable
Having a friend check in and ask you how your project is coming along is an amazing way to stick to it. Especially when it’s someone you respect and don’t want to disappoint.
Social pressure can work wonders.
Putting it all together
Look, I know this may not have a ton to do with marketing or branding or building a business from your creative work, but the truth is that there is no way any of is going to build anything of note if we can’t say “no” to the litany of daily distractions that come our way.
The phone will still be there.
Netflix will still be there.
YouTube will still be there.
But if we want to do our best work, we have to avoid those things.
We have to remove distractions and go to that place where time stands still and we become one with our craft.
Because that’s the whole point.
Not the product.
Not the money.
The process.
So as we approach the end of 2025, it might be worth doing some soul searching to determine how we can remove distractions from our lives and hit the reset button.
We all deserve to create our best work.
And the world does too.
How I Can Help
Learn for Free: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing, branding, and creative knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call to improve your marketing, branding, and creativity across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Automate Your Marketing: Hire our team to manage your marketing, branding, and advertising across platforms so you can focus on what matters most.
How I Can Help
Learn for Free: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing, branding, and creative knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call to improve your marketing, branding, and creativity across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Automate Your Marketing: Hire our team to manage your marketing, branding, and advertising across platforms so you can focus on what matters most.
How I Can Help
Learn for Free: Explore previous issues of The One Thing to learn at your own pace and upgrade your marketing, branding, and creative knowledge for free.
Book a Consultation: Schedule a one-on-one call to improve your marketing, branding, and creativity across paid advertising, social media, and more.
Automate Your Marketing: Hire our team to manage your marketing, branding, and advertising across platforms so you can focus on what matters most.