The Cost of a Divided Mind: Finding Focus When Everything Wants Your Attention

You reach the end of the day tired, and still can't quite say what you got done. It's not that you weren't working — it's that your attention was pulled a dozen directions at once, and that split has a real cost. In this episode, Danita looks at why our minds aren't built to carry everything at the same time, and walks through a simple way to lead with focus instead of frenzy.

She introduces a simple framework — FOCUS — for staying present with what's in front of you: Fix your eyes on what matters, Obey the rules and rhythms, Capture ideas without chasing them, Uphold your boundaries, and Steward the results. Alongside it are practical focus sprints you can try without overhauling an already full schedule.

Underneath it is a conviction Danita keeps coming back to: "Focus is a spiritual practice — choosing faithfulness over frenzy." It's the heart of Proverbs 4:25-26 — that keeping our eyes fixed on what's ahead is one way we steward what God has entrusted to us. Whether you're pulled at by constant interruptions, stuck in reactive mode, or just tired of the scatter, this episode meets you there.

Start small — try one focus sprint this week. And if you want help mapping your week and setting guardrails that hold, Danita offers a 90-minute clarity session.

Additional References: 

• Deep Work (Cal Newport): https://calnewport.com/deep-work-rules-for-focused-success-in-a-distracted-world/
  
  
• Focus on This Podcast: https://focusonthispodcast.com/

Work with Danita

• Find out what's blocking your leadership clarity!  Take the FREE Leadership Clarity Quiz: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/67ee83fb842bf6890d7a7875

Transcript

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The Multitasking Trap

Speaker 1 0:06

Have you ever finished a day of work completely exhausted and yet wondered what did I actually accomplish today ? Chances are you've been caught in the trap of doing too many things at once , so today we're going to talk about why multitasking is actually stealing nearly half of your productive time and how you can stop the spin . Hey friends , welcome back to Entrusted to Lead . I'm your host , danita Cummins , coach , consultant and fellow faith traveler who's learning to lead with clarity and peace . Just like you , if your brain feels like 14 tabs are open and a Spotify playlist is playing from somewhere that you can't find or stop it , then this episode is especially for you . So grab your cup of coffee and let's get started .

Speaker 1 0:53

Leadership can feel really heavy sometimes , especially when you're carrying a vision and people and purpose all on your shoulders all at the same time . You have got a big mission , but the strategy feels fuzzy and your team is looking at you for clarity that you're not sure you actually have . I get it . It's hard . I'm Danita Cummins . I help faith-driven leaders like you find clarity , align with your values and lead with confidence without burning out , because that's never okay . If you're ready to get unstuck , lead your team with courage and to turn that God-given vision into strategy that really works .

Speaker 1 1:30

I want us to talk . Take the free leadership clarity quiz that I've created today and I want you to schedule your no pressure coaching call , because together we can uncover what's holding you back and how to move forward in faith and confidence . So here's the pattern I hear from leaders every single week . They have back-to-back meetings , their messages are dinging on three or more platforms , they have this quick check of email , but it somehow turns into like this 45 minute detour and they have a lack of clarity or focus on those tasks that they need to prioritize in order to get to the next level or milestone in this daunting five-year strategic plan . We're all busy all day , I get it , but sometimes we look up and we realize that the needle might not be moving on what actually matters . Sometimes we look up and we realize that the needle might not be moving on what actually matters .

Speaker 1 2:25

So let's anchor this with one data point . Did you know that task switching can burn up to 40% of your productive time ? That's insane . 40% . That's the hidden tax on your leadership . So let's quantify that In an eight-hour day , that could be more than three hours that are gone , lost or never to be seen again . It's not because you are gone , lost or never to be seen again . It's not because you're lazy , okay or undisciplined . So I need you to hear that today , because we often tell ourselves this it must be me , but it's because your brain pays a toll every time you shift gears .

Speaker 1 2:58

So here's the quick truth about it You're not multitasking . When you do that , you're actually performing something called micro task switching . Ever heard of it ? Maybe not , I hadn't , and I would pride myself in being the queen of multitasking . Micro task switching is when your brain is toggling , but it's not actually doing two things at once , because that's not how it's designed . So think of it like you're constantly changing lanes in rush hour . Okay , you feel active because you are , there's energy , but you're not actually arriving any sooner .

Speaker 1 3:34

And we've all seen that person who plays leapfrog in the traffic line and secretly or not so secretly if you're a verbal processor like me we say what does this guy think he's doing ? Because he's not getting there any faster , he's just moving and he's kind of making a fool of himself . Can you relate this to your leadership or your time management tasks ? Nobody wants to look like a fool . I'm not saying we look like fools . That's not what we're here today . But there is this misconception that I think we all need to come to terms , in reality , with that . We might not actually be getting as much things done as we think we are , or we might not be as good at multitasking as we say we are . So focus is not about doing less leadership because , again , we have this massive list , we're all super busy , we have all of these things , people are relying on us , we have responsibilities for our organizations , so I'm not telling you just turn it off and go home , but it is more about doing leadership in sequence , with clarity and rhythm .

Speaker 1 4:37

If I've had one of those days where I ended up with 80% progress on five things and not a single task was completed , I would get a little frustrated , right . But when I started to go back , look at my schedule , really be intentional about my time and when I started to protect like two blocks of deep focus work a day , my output jumped and my stress dropped . It just did . Today I'm going to show you how you can build that rhythm into your daily life , all right . So we're going to use this simple framework called FOCUS .

Understanding Micro Task Switching

Speaker 1 5:13

It's pretty easy . We love acronyms F-O-C-U-S , so that shouldn't be too hard to remember . But we're going to dig into each one and then at the end I'll give you a little bit of information about some of the obstacles when I work with leaders that they experience , because obstacles are real and some ways you can overcome them . All right . So the first one is F . It's fix your eyes on what matters .

Speaker 1 5:35

Name one outcome for the next block of time , and when I say this I mean outcome , not task . We're going to talk about that here and in the next segment . By the end of this block , I will have accomplished X , y , z . So , for example , you would say , by the end of this block , I will have a 300-word draft blog for my next writing block Done , and that's important . There's two things in there . It's 300 words , it's not 3,000 . It's not 3 million , it's 300 words and it's a draft and that's important for later because iteration matters .

Speaker 1 6:15

Another example would be I'm going to write a draft job description for the accounting position that we need to hire . It's a draft accounting position , very specific , has great clarity . I know exactly what I'm going to be working on . I know what the outcome needs to be . Or another one could be . I want my inbox to be cleaned out with important messages flagged and my appointment scheduled on my calendar for the next two weeks , not forever , just for the next two weeks . Do you see , the outcome is super important . My task that I would just say'm gonna write , or I'm gonna write this xyz . But the outcome that I hope to achieve is what's really the driving force for me to determine Did I reach my goal or did I not reach my goal ?

Speaker 1 6:57

So o is obey the rules and the rhythms that you've set . We're going to put a block on our calendar and we're going to honor it . The default length should be 50 to 90 minutes . 50 to 90 minutes that's kind of a long time . 90 minutes is a long time , that's deep work . Shorter is fine if that's what you can protect for today . So this is not an all or none exercise . There are some absolute truths , but by and large , most of the things we do are not all or none . You know , I can't pray for 45 minutes every day , I can't read my journal or read my Bible and I can't do deep journal work . So I'm not going to do it at all . No , that's , that's not what we do . You're going to put a block on your calendar and you're going to honor it . 50 to 90 minutes , that's ideal , but shorter is fine .

Speaker 1 7:39

Time is one of your most precious assets . Okay , I don't know if you figured that out , yet I did . I don't remember when it was . There was a shift where I realized that I valued time more than I valued money . Time is a currency , but you can't buy more of it . You just can't , right ? My coach says all the time you either have time or money . Which one do you have today ? So you have to steward well your time just as much as you steward well your money .

Speaker 1 8:06

And this isn't about TikTok videos or chicken banana . That's not what we're talking about here . We're talking about how do I use the time and energy that I have at my disposal in order to make the most and have the greatest impact ? And then the other note , which I know you've heard a hundred times , but just to reiterate like we all have the same amount of time , we all get the same amount of hours in a day . So when you look up and you ask any CEO , you ask any leader , you ask any person who started a company , who has been successful in business or leadership or life , and you ask them how are you able to accomplish all the things that you have accomplished in your life ? The way they manage and view their time will tell you , because they hold time with just as great , if not greater , respect and stewardship than money . If goals are important to you , then you have to honor the appointments that you set with yourself , like you would with anybody else . So we're gonna put that time on our calendar , we're gonna block it out , and then we're gonna hold ourselves accountable and we're gonna honor ourselves . Then we're going to hold ourselves accountable and we're going to honor ourselves and we're going to honor the time that we've set aside For C .

Speaker 1 9:10

We're going to capture new ideas , but we're not going to chase them , because if you're anything like me , you can have a thousand ideas in a day . Maybe I should do this , maybe I should do that , maybe not .

The FOCUS Framework

Speaker 1 9:30

I don't . We want to do and if you're already doing this , great . If you have a solution or system that you use , you can drop it in the chat or the comments , or share or shoot me an email . I'd love to hear what works for you , but we're going to keep a parking lot of ideas . So when your brain throws this shiny new idea and you get distracted which is completely normal again , because thoughts are like clouds , they come and they go then you want to type it there and then you want to just keep going to work .

Speaker 1 9:46

For me , I use ClickUp . That's my task management system . I have a notepad on my desk that I write down tasks as I'm in meetings or things , just because it works for me and I'm a writer . But you can use whatever system works for you . But during this time , while you're working on your deep work tasks , you need to keep a little parking lot notepad open and write down those ideas as they come and they pop up , because we're trying to focus on completing the outcome we set for the day . So we want to just make sure that we're staying focused in that area . This is the way that I do it . I have multiple task boards , but I have a task board . That's things I need to do today , today's tasks , and I have the things for tomorrow task and I love it because I regularly review them and I move them around . So sometimes they're on the today list and they get moved to the tomorrow list . If I figure out . Actually it's not a priority or doesn't need to get done today . I have a running list and it allows me to only focus on the most important tasks that need to be in front of me today , so my brain doesn't hold those open loops , which is a real thing .

Speaker 1 10:46

So capture your ideas , but don't chase them , and if you forget , that's okay too . They'll come back . They almost always do . And then the ? U is uphold your boundaries , silence your notifications , shut your email and your chat oh my gosh . Turn off the TV , if that's something that you do . If you're leading a team , you need to set office hours on your calendar . The leaders that I work with that do this very well . They have scheduled admin time . Do not schedule . They have open office hours , even in a virtual company .

Speaker 1 11:14

I work with a company that is 100% virtual . The leaders in that company are able to engage with 100 plus employees in multiple different time zones . How do they do that ? They do that with very healthy boundaries and they teach people how to escalate a truly urgent issue right . So the greatest lesson that I have ever learned for leadership and life is about setting healthy boundaries , because we teach people how to treat us . So if you say this is my admin block , but you let people come in and take that time from you all the time . Then they learn that that boundary isn't actually a boundary . You teach them how to treat you Super important .

Speaker 1 11:51

If there's emergencies , then someone should be able to call you , but everything else can wait , and there are apps on your phone and there are ways that you can do that . Where you set it up , where you only have the people who are you know , that are in your priority list , that can only have the people who are you know , that are in your priority list , that can can call and contact you . Technology , you know , can help you do this , um , but you have to be the one to like implement those boundaries , um , especially when you work with a team environment , you have lots of people coming and going all day and then the S is steward the results that God has entrusted to you . Close each block with a 60 second summary . It's super fast . It doesn't have to be this big analytical , you know , experiment . You're just going to ask yourself what moved the needle , what's the very next step I need to do , and then you're going to put that next step on your calendar or your task list before you stand up to take a break . Okay , super important . The same can be true for an end of week roundup , which is a different topic for a different day , but the same methodology works . So when you get done the end of your task and your time , then you just sit down and you say , okay , what worked , what did I get done , what do I have still left to do , write that down and then take a break . Okay , we're gonna build this right now in execution , which isn't something that we normally do on the podcast

Building Your First Focus Sprint

Speaker 1 13:07

. So if you're watching on the video , then maybe this will help you . But I think it's super important for us to walk through this , and so if you've got to save this episode and come back to it at a later date , totally do that . But I'm going to walk through one of these to help you design your first focus sprint right now , and then you'll have a place to come back to .

Speaker 1 13:25

So , number one pick your one outcome , just one . Ask yourself what is the single most leveraged thing that you could complete in the next 50 to 60 minutes ? One thing , and then choose the item that reduces the most uncertainty or it unlocks other work and that takes a little bit of thinking , it takes a little bit of planning . Or you can also take the thing that is the most pressing , that maybe things are overwhelming . Sometimes it might be taking an hour to clean your office . Sometimes it might be saying you know what I'm going to take this next hour and I'm going to pack up all that stuff that's in my bedroom , that's sitting in the corner , that needs to go to Goodwill , because every time I walk into my bedroom I look in the corner and I think I should go to Goodwill . It can be life things . It doesn't necessarily have to be , you know , creating a strategic plan , but find that one thing that reduces the most amount of uncertainty in your life today and focus on getting that one thing done . All right .

Speaker 1 14:24

Number two is you're going to break it up into the first three steps . So you're going to write them as A , b , c . Super simple , right , basic outline . But you want to make step A so small that's impossible to resist . It like opening the document and writing the first sentence . It sounds really basic , but procrastination is really just our brain trying to protect us from a real or perceived threat of pain . Okay , it might be real pain , because you might actually really have to write a document or you might really have to do research . So there is a pain or discomfort and your brain is like we'll do that later , we'll do that later . But if you know that , then you have to be able to break that . And so the only way to break that is to make it the smallest possible , like least common denominator that you can actually accomplish . And then you get that done . There's momentum , your body celebrates yay endorphins . And then you get to move to the next step . Break it out into as small as steps as possible .

Speaker 1 15:23

Number three is you're going to protect the block Again . You're gonna close your email and your chat , you're gonna put your phone on do not disturb . And if you're in the office , you're gonna put up a quick little sign that says focus sprint until 2.15 , call if urgent . I guarantee you , if you put something like that on your door the first or second time , people might be like what does that mean ? Focus sprint ? I don't really know what that means , but most people know how and genuinely do want to respect other people's boundaries . So if you teach them over time , hey , this is what I'm working on . I'm using focus sprint time to get these things accomplished that are super important to me and the team . When you see that note on my door , just call me if it's urgent . If not , leave me a note or send me an IM and I will get back to you after my sprint time is over . Most people are going to be like , sure , no problem , happy to help .

Speaker 1 16:16

Number four is start the timer . So you're going to work the steps in order A , b , c again , super easy . But when your distractions show up because they are going to show up you're just going to capture them in your parking lot and you're going to go back to your plan . That might be one of the hardest things is not to get distracted . Email's going to pop in . That's why we close it . Im chats are going to go off . That's why we silence it . Right , that's just a normal part of living in a busy , data-driven , distraction heavy world . We all do it . We have to teach ourselves and train ourselves how to block out those distractions and focus on the things that we need to focus on . Start the timer , work the plan and if you get distracted , that's okay . Just reset and get back to work . And then number five you want to close well Again . So when the timer buzzes , then you want to write one sentence what moved the needle ? That's it , what moved the needle and then schedule the next step .

Speaker 1 17:11

Leadership isn't a race to everywhere . If you see leaders who are very successful , you can see this model . They're very focused , they have clarity and especially visionary leaders . It's easy for them to see big picture and lots of options and lots of ideas and lots of businesses they could start and you know different programs that they could offer because they're visionary leaders . That's just the nature of of how their brains and their hearts and how , I believe , god has created them . Um , they're apostles a of them and they see the world and they want to make wrong things right and so , because of that nature and that gifting , they're able to see opportunity everywhere . And it's really hard sometimes for them , for visionary leaders , to focus and have clarity , and that's why we have founders and visionary leaders . And then we have operators and we have implementers and we have people who actually , you know , build the systems and processes , because those are two completely different skills . But there's no book that tells you that leadership is a race to everywhere . It's just not .

Speaker 1 18:08

In Proverbs 4 , 25 and 26, . It says let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you and ponder the path of your feet . Then all your ways will be sure . My husband and I live in the outskirts , if you will , of the Uari National Forest . So if you have or haven't been to our house , it's surrounded by pine trees

Overcoming Common Focus Obstacles

Speaker 1 18:31

and we have trails and walking paths that he's created for us to go out into the woods , but they are not level paths . You know , this isn't a suburbia sidewalk . I mean , there are holes and there are ravines and there are all kinds of things , and so when we walk we have to look pretty much right down in front of our feet .

Speaker 1 18:50

I spend a lot of time with a walking stick in one hand and looking down right past where my feet are heading , because I don't wanna fall , I don't wanna hurt myself as I'm getting older , and that's the image that comes to mind when I read those verses and I think about clarity and leadership and multitasking . The verse says let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you . Okay , I get that . I'm walking this path . I don't know what's in front of me , I don't know if there's a pine cone or a tree down . So I have to be very diligent and intentional about where I'm going . And then I'm pondering the path of my feet , because then all of my ways are going to be sure . And I think that's an important part for today , because we should ponder the path of your feet .

Speaker 1 19:34

If you are working , working , working , and you're going a certain place and you look up after 5 , 10 , 15 years or 5 , 10 , 15 months and you're like , where are we going , right , how do we get here ? Then it's an important part of reflection and stewardship and God calls us all to do that , to be good stewards of the gifts that he's given us . And focus is a spiritual practice , like choosing faithfulness over frenzy . Focus , clarity , peace , all of those things they are rooted in a deep spiritual practice , if you can see the connection between them . So ask the Lord what's the work you're entrusting to me in this moment ? And then do that fully . I had a person on our board give me really great advice one time and she said you pray over your schedule and the Lord controls your calendar . The Lord controls your calendar . And so you surrender and say , okay , what is the work that you have entrusted me to do in this moment , and I will do that to the best of my ability . Here are a few obstacles that you may experience as you're trying to do this . Here's a few recommendations on how you can navigate these obstacles .

Speaker 1 20:42

Okay , so the first one that I hear sometimes from my coaching clients is yeah , but Danita , my team interrupts me . So what am I supposed to do ? Well , you set daily office hours for questions , you use a simple intake form or a shared doc for non-urgent requests and you teach them the RACI , which is how we think about responsibility . You want them to think who's responsible right now , what's truly urgent right now versus what's important ? Do I need to be responsible for doing that task , solving that task , managing that task , or do you just need to inform me that that task or that decision was made at a later date ? We want to equip and empower the people that we serve with that we lead , and that looks different for each team , but there are frameworks that can help you do basic things , where we talk about delegation and empowering our teams . So if your teams are coming to you with lots of questions and they're interrupting you , then the question you should ask yourself is have I empowered them enough , do they have clarity in order for them to be able to do the job that they're asking to do , and do I need to encourage them more ? Do I need to provide additional guidance and feedback , or can I set up some of these systems that will allow them to put their questions where they need them and then know that I'll respond to them in an appropriate time ?

Speaker 1 22:06

The second one that my coaching clients often say is my role is reactive . We talk a lot about planning strategy and organizational growth , but then we feel like our days are just filled with reaction . So I'd love to have time to plan forward , but the reality is I don't ever get there . So here are a couple of recommendations . Start with one 25 minute block of admin time . I recommend it first thing in the morning . That's what I do . I have admin block on my schedule every morning to go through . Look at my schedule , my emails , my plan for the day , my calendar . What do I need to do , what came in last night , what has changed and where do I need to go , and what are my goals and objectives for the day . It literally changes the game for me every single day because I have so many different competing priorities that are coming in and I just can't manage those in my head . So start with a planning block . And then the second one is use it for planning or deep thinking , because even one protected block can change your day's trajectory it truly can . And then the last example is well , that sounds really great , danita , but I lose focus after 20 minutes , like I just can't focus . So try this 25-5 . Do like two rounds , do a little bit and then take a break . Stand up , take a break , get some water , stretch , breathe and then come back to it . There are different ways to break up the time so you can still accomplish goals , but it doesn't have to be in this like very linear , rigid fashion . So those are just three examples of some of the challenges that my coaching clients have and that I've personally experienced , and some ways that we navigate around those daily distractions .

Speaker 1 23:40

I'm going to give you two resources that I hope that will help you deepen your practice

Resources and Next Steps

Speaker 1 23:44

. The first one is the book Deep Work by Cal Newport . It is a masterclass on attention and high value output . If you haven't had a chance to grab it , you totally should . And then the focus on this podcast . So they give practical weekly tips for planning and prioritizing . Again , depending upon what medium you like to receive knowledge and information , you can definitely put both of those resources on your to-do list and you can maybe see if you can get some other tools and tips that are going to work for you .

Speaker 1 24:13

Remember that your task switching taxes your time up to 40% . That's not okay . We need as much time as we can possibly have in our life . Focus is sequential , it's not simultaneous . So , again , we've got to break down this myth , or this misbelief , that multitasking is the way to go , and we're going to use focus the acronym , and we're going to run one focus sprint today . That's your homework . One sprint today . It can be little again , but try it out just at least one time . And then you're going to end every sprint by stewarding the results with a one sentence summary and your next actions . Remember that is so super important .

Speaker 1 24:52

If you would like help designing a focus sprint for your week , dialed to your specific season and your team , then I would love to walk you through my 90-minute clarity session . We would identify your top outcomes , we would map your ideal week and set healthy guardrails so you can breathe and find the peace you deserve to have in your leadership journey . I do totally believe way deep down in my heart that God understands the call and the responsibilities that you carry in life . I just do . I believe that he understands your needs and your heart's desires , and our job is to find the tools and the rhythms to sort through the chaos of the day , as well as we need to find the time to steward our energy and our resources . Both of those things are so critical for us to be able to have a faith-driven and a peace-filled life , which I truly believe is what we're all searching for at the end of the day anyway . So if your days feel scattered and you're constantly spinning , remember that task switching can steal nearly 40% of your time . So by reclaiming focus through sprints and boundaries , you'll see a massive gain in clarity . I truly believe that of gain and clarity . I truly believe that .

Speaker 1 26:08

And don't forget , for more details or additional resources , check out deep work by Cal Newport or the focus on this podcast . And if you want hands on help designing a focus sprint for your leadership rhythm book , a clarity session with me today . Just visit dennydocumminscom for details . Later this month I'm going to be releasing a few special episodes with my co-founder and my husband , as we discuss our founder journey with our new company , sinewave , and we're going to talk about how we have been trying to steward our marriage and our mission as faith-driven leaders , and we're going to share some of the lessons we've learned along this crazy tech startup journey . So stay tuned for that .

Speaker 1 26:42

Please don't forget to like and subscribe and share this episode with a friend , or with five friends , and always let me know if there are things that are going on in your leadership challenges . I'd love to hear about them and we can definitely incorporate them into the coaching segments for the podcast . And please always remember to keep showing up every day , even when it hurts , because you matter . Okay , friend , I hope you have an amazing day . I'll see you later .