My Top 3 Focus Tools (and how I use them)
The tools enabling the meta-tool
Focus has the best and the worst reputation.
For some, it's the holy grail of productivity.
For others, it's the epitome of hustle culture and empty promises: thrown around but hard to live by.
For me, focus is a tool. A means to an end, nothing more. I don't worship focus itself, but I value what it enables me to do:
Effective, low-distraction work that frees me from the 9-5
Deliberate practice to develop and acquire new skills
In the macro, pursuing what truly matters
In the micro, staying in the present
In that, focus is a meta-tool, a lever to use for multiple purposes in many areas of life.
What I noticed is that it's hard to 'focus', just like it's hard 'to be present'.
These aren’t actions you do directly. They’re states you enter, often as a side effect of something else.
That’s why I don’t try to force focus anymore.
Instead, I use tools that make focus more likely.
Routines. Prompts. Breathing techniques. Tiny rituals.
They don’t guarantee focus, but they open the door.
Over the past few years, I’ve experimented with dozens of these, some backed by science, others (so far) by practice. These are the three I keep coming back to, because they work reliably for me.
I want to share them with you. And, if you like, hit reply and let me know what 'tools' have reliably worked for you, or your questions and thoughts.
A focus tool will support one or multiple dimensions of focus:
Clarity: what truly matters most?
Commitment: how do I consistently act on what matters most?
Recovery: how do I recover and refocus right now?
Here are my top 3 tools:
1. The Weekly Review (for Clarity)
Every Friday or Sunday, I do a short weekly review. Nothing fancy. 30 minutes maximum. Sometimes with a coffee, often relaxed on the sofa, and typically I step away from my desk.
Here's the template and key questions I ask myself:
First, I look back at last week for a review:
Did I do my best on ... (here I add my life areas): I rate these individually for each life area on a 1-10 scale. I'm not looking at results, but at effort I put in. Over time, I can see where most of my effort goes versus what areas I'm neglecting
What did I focus on?
What went well?
What didn't go well?
What are my lessons learned?
What are my magic moments this week?
Then, I look forward to next week:
I quickly review my purpose statement, personal values and long-term goals.
Then I only ask 1 question: What's my priority (singular) for next week?
This is the key to clarity: not just knowing your goals, writing down your purpose & values once, but re-deciding them each week. And adjusting where my effort goes.
I've found a weekly cadence is just right for me.
2. The 3-3-3 Method (for Commitment)
Each morning, I define and set an intention for these (and in this order):
3 hours spend on deep work on my top priority for the day, in the morning
3 shorter tasks that are important (often also urgent)
3 maintenance tasks (the necessities that I can't/don't want to delete or delegate)
Why it works:
It forces me to prioritize, not just plan or tick off from my unstructured to-do list
It adds a sense of progress (from the small wins)
And it reminds me that I'm human (I set limits for myself)
This method helps me stick to my commitments, i.e. act on what matters rather than unthinkingly reacting to what is thrown at me. The limitation prevents me from falling into hustle mode. And the flexibility is just what I need because ... life happens.
But let's be real: I know that 3 hours of deep work every day may sound out of reach, if you're not used to working this way. If that's the case, try an experiment:
Can you carve out just one deep work session this week?
What would need to change to make that possible?
Don’t dismiss it until you’ve experienced it, even for just one morning.
3. The Physiological Sigh (for Recovery)
We all experience this: focus fades. Even with the best intentions and set-up.
And that’s completely normal.
Our brains evolved to be alert, not absorbed: to scan for threats, respond to distractions, and avoid unnecessary energy use.
When stress builds or attention scatters, it’s not just mental, it’s physiological. Your nervous system shifts into a state of vigilance or energy conservation. And in that state, focus is almost impossible.
That’s why regaining focus isn’t just about trying harder, it’s about shifting your state.
That’s where the physiological sigh comes in. It’s a simple breathing technique, proven to calm your nervous system fast. Here’s how you do it:
Inhale through your nose
Take a second, short inhale at the top
Exhale slowly through your mouth
Repeat twice. That’s it.
Whenever I catch myself spinning, procrastinating, or zoning out, I use this. It resets my state in under a minute. And that little reset often makes the difference between reacting and refocusing.
Here's a video of Dr Andrew Huberman explaining the why and demonstrating the how of the physiological sigh.
Three small tools that help me enter focus, not force it.
They’re not a magic bullet, but they work reliably for me and many others I've worked with.
Which one might make the biggest difference for you right now? Try it. See what happens.
And if you’ve found your own reliable focus tools, I’d love to hear them.
Just hit reply or comment.