The average knowledge worker switches tasks every 47 seconds.¹

Not every hour. Every 47 seconds.

At the same time, AI is helping us write faster, code faster, decide faster. We can generate ideas in seconds and move projects forward at a pace that felt impossible just a few years ago.

So why does it feel harder than ever to focus?

The irony of our time is that the same tools that amplify our capability also amplify distraction.

The New Leadership Edge

Information is no longer rare.
First drafts are no longer rare.
Even decent strategies are no longer rare.

Focused thinking is.

If you work in technology or lead teams, your edge is not how quickly you can produce output. It is how clearly you can think.

Speed without clarity creates noise.
Clarity with speed creates impact.

In an AI driven world, everyone can generate something quickly.

Leaders will be distinguished by something else.

The ability to filter noise. The discipline to think before reacting. Clear direction, given with intention.

The Progress Trap

Over the past year, I’ve integrated AI deeply into my workflow. It helps me explore ideas, test assumptions, and refine communication.

It has made me more efficient.

It has also made it easier to mistake movement for progress.

I can spend an entire hour iterating on prompts, refining responses, switching between tools and conversations. It feels productive. It looks productive.

But it is not always meaningful.

AI makes it easy to move.

It does not force you to think.

The moments where I create the most value still come from uninterrupted depth. From sitting with a hard problem. From resisting the urge to check one more notification.

That kind of focus feels almost rebellious now.

The High Price We Pay

Fragmented attention is exhausting.

When your mind shifts every few seconds, you rarely enter flow. You end the day drained, even if you were busy from morning to evening.

Focus is a productivity tactic and more so a quality of life decision.

There is something deeply human about giving your full attention to one thing and doing it well. In a world that constantly pulls at you, that experience is becoming rare.

AI increases leverage, but only focused humans create meaningful intentional impact.

Challenge

So here is my challenge, to myself and to you.

Try one small experiment.

• Protect one uninterrupted hour for deep work.
• Or create before you consume anything in the morning.
• Or end each day by identifying one meaningful outcome you moved forward.

Do it consistently for five days.

Notice the changes in clarity, stress levels and the quality of your thinking.

I would love to hear what you choose and what you learn.

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¹ Gloria Mark, Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity (2023). Her research found that knowledge workers switch screens or tasks approximately every 47 seconds on average.