Imagine this for a moment:
A group of strangers knocks on your door. They’re not there for food, water, or help. They’re there because they want to use your WiFi.
Sounds bizarre, right? But that’s exactly what happened to us this morning.
Right now, I’m in Spain with a group of very close friends. We are in the middle of the Pyrenees, two hours from Barcelona, in a very special place you can only reach by walking.
We’re staying in this little refuge tucked away in a stunning valley. It’s so quiet here. No noise, no civilisation – just nature. Birds, wind, and silence. I’d almost forgotten how incredible that is.
Yesterday, we went for what was supposed to be a “little walk.” We’d planned an 18-kilometre hike with 1,300 metres elevation gain… but we didn’t quite make it. We managed about half of it, but it still took us nine hours and nearly killed us!
So this morning, as we were having breakfast, a group of hikers knocked on the door. They’d come from another refuge about two and a half kilometres away. Why? Their WiFi wasn’t working, so they walked nearly an hour – just to check their emails and WhatsApp.
Let me say that again: they walked nearly an hour, in the middle of nowhere, purely to connect to WiFi.
Of course, we welcomed them in. But it struck me how far technology follows us these days – and how desperate we’ve become to stay connected at all times.
We’re living in a world of constant distraction. Pings, notifications, endless scrolling. We’re working the muscle of distraction every single day. And I believe the next superpower we all need is focus – the ability to disconnect from the noise and zero in on what truly matters.
Here are a few things that have helped me (and my friend Paul) build this focus muscle:
1. Cut Down Social Media
I’ve removed myself from all social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it. Paul’s done the same. Life feels lighter without that constant feed.
2. Switch Off Notifications
I’ve turned off all notifications on my phone except SMS – so if there’s an emergency, TK (my wife) can still reach me. No WhatsApp pings, no email pop-ups.
3. Phone-Free Evenings
When I’m in Sydney, I try to completely disconnect from my phone from 8pm to 8am. It feels almost rebellious… but it brings so much peace.
I asked Paul to share his own approach, because he’s done something quite clever:
“One year ago, I put a parental control limit on WhatsApp – 20 minutes per day. But at first, I kept bypassing it with the password. So I created a random password I didn’t even know. Now, my phone locks WhatsApp after 20 minutes, and I can’t unlock it.”
The only way around it would be to wipe his phone or buy a new one! Extreme? Maybe. But he says it’s changed everything. He now uses WhatsApp intentionally, not mindlessly. It’s made him far more focused throughout his day.
You don’t have to be that drastic. But maybe ask someone you trust to set a password for your social media limits – so you’re not tempted to override them.
Because here’s the thing:
We spend so much time training our distraction muscle… but how often do we train our focus?
So, my questions for you are: What do you do to improve your focus? And if you’re honest with yourself, are you strengthening your focus muscle – or your distraction muscle?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a beautiful and focused day.
A bientôt,
Cyril
