The second way that our attention is limited is that after focusing on something, we can hold only a small amount of information in our short-term memory.

In other words, roughly how much of your time do you spend deliberately and with intention, deciding in advance what you want to do and when you’ll do it?

CONSUME SOME CAFFEINE BEFORE READING If it’s not too late in the day—caffeine takes eight to fourteen hours to metabolize out of your system—consider reading alongside a cup of coffee or tea.

This is the problem with managing your attention on autopilot mode. The most urgent and stimulating things in your environment are rarely the most significant.

First, there’s a finite limit to how many things we can focus on.

PUT YOUR PHONE OUT OF SIGHT When your mind is even slightly resisting a task, it will look for more novel things to focus on. Our smartphones are a great example—they provide an endless stream of bite-sized, delicious information for our brains to consume.

Maintaining a distractions list as you read will capture the important things that float to the surface of your consciousness. Writing them down to make sure they don’t slip through the cracks will let you refocus on the task at hand.

First, there’s a finite limit to how many things we can focus on.

Directing your attention toward the most important object of your choosing—and then sustaining that attention—is the most consequential decision we will make throughout the day. We are what we pay attention to.