My Formula for Consistency and Focus During The Era of Distractions and Information Overload
Tell me if this sounds familiar to you: Your teen has been cooped up in his/her/their bedroom for hours on end, scrolling on their phone or looking at their computer screens. Their minds race from one platform or social media app to another: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, and then back to TikTok again. You can’t remember the last time they came to actually talk to you about anything, and when you ask how they’re doing, you’re met with a shrug and an “I’m fine” before they walk away again. They’re stressed, maybe moody or frustrated, and overwhelmed by the pressure of tests, volunteering, assignments, university applications, maybe even a part-time job.
Now picture something different.
Imagine your high schooler getting started on a task exactly when they scheduled it on their calendar, without hesitation. Imagine them staying focused and getting into a state of “flow” — they’re understanding the figures and data, absorbing it, and making connections. Imagine time flying as they zip through their to-do lists, finally checking off the last box with enough time to unwind with a walk around the block and maybe dinner with the family. Picture your teen happy, energized, and prepared for what’s coming their way.
Or imagine something simpler and equally satisfying: your high schooler developing a system of habits to make their study or working periods more effective, while also freeing up more time to spend with friends, play Wordle, or do something they enjoy that doesn’t involve a screen.
The secret is to think one thing.
You don’t have to be a genius. Form tiny habits
In his book “Atomic Habits”, James Clear writes, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
Under this model, great achievements are often the result of compounding consistent habits. If we want to increase our productivity and effectiveness, we do not need to be a prodigy or once-in-a-millennium genius.
What we need is a way to put ourselves on autopilot so that over time, we can complete more while exerting less and less effort. This is the beauty of a system.
How do you build this system? Form one tiny habit that will act as a domino that will knock over another and another until you reach your goal.
Keep it simple. Focus on Keystone Habits
Naturally, the question that comes to mind is: where do I start? Which tiny habit should your teen develop and how can he/she/they start?
What we first need to consider is what goal we’re aiming for. Based on this bigger goal, we reverse engineer the process and figure out one tiny, yet effective habit that will build up the momentum. Ideally, this tiny habit would also unintentionally transfer over into other aspects of life. This is a Keystone Habit.
For those of us who appreciate examples, this is one that I’ve done myself. Towards the end of 2021, I found myself glued to my phone more than I care to admit. Instagram is a powerful attention-sucking beast. It was fun at first, but the guilt and shame hit me fast as I scrolled and scrolled, not noticing how much time was passing. Soon, I found myself turning to my phone impulsively, pulled to it like a magnet.
Coincidentally, I also needed to replace my phone. My current one was running out of battery within 3 hours of being fully charged and it started to freeze up while at work. I bit the bullet and finally ordered a new model. Quite by accident, my data and apps failed to transfer completely onto my new device. My contacts and important messages were mostly there, but all of my social media apps needed to be downloaded all over again. It was the rush right before the holidays, so seeing my friends’ latest Instagram posts wasn’t a top priority at the time, and I put off downloading the app. An entire day passed, and I still didn’t download any social media apps. Within 24 hours, it was as if a switch flipped inside my brain. Instead of browsing throughout the day, I found myself cooking more, taking dance breaks, or belting out “Encanto” tunes. What was truly odd was that I didn’t even miss social media nearly as much as I thought I would. In fact, I found myself… enjoying this newfound freedom that I hadn’t felt in a while. My eyes and mind were no longer tethered by an invisible force to my phone. I felt productive, happy, and focused. What a shift!
The Keystone Habit of really tuning into my daily tasks has since catalyzed a series of other good habits that have built up one on top of the other to create an entire system that sticks.
And better yet, since I focused on one simple Keystone Habit rather than a bunch of massive abrupt changes, the process had a natural build up. I was able to smoothly bake these into my life, instead of getting pulled back and reverting to my old ways.
Use the power of compound growth
Let’s start with a question.
Would you rather have $1 million right now, or a penny that doubles every day for a month?
A million dollars upfront might sound tempting, but take a look at what happens if you have a penny and double it every day for 30 days:
Tiny habits work in the same way. You could take shortcuts to get an A+ today, but you may be missing out on a bigger picture reward down the line. Hardly worth it.
Like compound interest, these tiny habits may not look like much at first. This can be frustrating, especially if you don’t see immediate results. But like an exponential curve, focusing on getting 1% better every day harnesses the power of tiny gains. Things start off slow and steady before quickly skyrocketing.
Follow the ‘Yellow Brick Road’
To take advantage of this compounding effect, it’s all about staying consistent. Do your one skill or habit over and over again, and then do it some more. Keep doubling that penny. Keep following the ‘yellow brick road’ one brick at a time until you reach Emerald City.
For those of us who hate boring tasks, don’t leave just yet.
Boring may not be ‘fun’, but I’ve found there are ways to make it bearable or even… dare I say… something to look forward to. But that’s a story for another day.