Divided attention is like a thick head of hair creating a constant drag in your mental waters.

You should approach your workflow the same wayby removing the things that are dragging you down.

This post originally appeared onJames Clear’s blog.

Let’s look at one example of an Olympic swimmer who has faced more than her share of challenges.

At the age of 15, Vollmer discovered that she had a heart disorder known as long QT syndrome.

She had heart surgery later that year, but the operation didn’t eliminate the risk of heart failure.

(Even today, her mother watches swim meets from the stands with a defibrillator between her feet.)

Little did she know that her head was about to be the problem.

As soon as Vollmer entered the pool in the 100m Final, her swim cap came off.

Professional swimmers wear latex swim caps that tightly cover their head to reduce drag in the water.

Nearly every swimmer wears them, but swim caps are especially important for female swimmers.

This is why nearly all professional swimmers wear not just one, but two swim caps.

That’s exactly what Vollmer did.

Now, let’s get to the real fun.

What does wearing swim caps have to do with living a better life?

Physical Drag vs.

Mental Drag

Imagine that your brain is a computer.

They need to cover the object that creates dragtheir hairfor the race.

Does this mean that their hair is bad?

No, of course not.

How can we expect to do our best work if we are constantly fighting mental drag?

I’m working through these issues just like you are.

We’re on this journey together.

That’s when I’m fresh.

That’s when I do my best writing.

That’s when I make the best strategic decisions about my business.

So, what do I do?

Ischedule creative tasks for the morning.

All other business tasks are taken care of in the afternoon.

Can you wait until 10am?

Don’t get wrapped up in the exact time frame.

Work in Full Screen Mode

Nearly every program on my computer is in full screen mode.

If I’m reading an article on the web, my web app takes up the whole screen.

If I’m writing in Evernote, I’m working in full screen mode.

If I’m editing a picture in Photoshop, it is the only thing I can see.

I have set up my desktop so that the menu bar disappears automatically.

It’s funny how big of a difference this makes.

However, if you remove the visual cue then the urge to be distracted subsides in a few minutes.

Mark McGuinness,

Manage Your Day-to-Day

Creating meaningful work is hard, even in optimal circumstances.

Put on a swim cap and tuck your distractions away for a few moments.

Give yourself the opportunity to perform at your best.

Image byMr-Vector7(Shutterstock).

Additional photos byDLR German Aerospace CenterandNicola(Flickr).

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