Normally, I find articles about how to “minimize distractions in this distraction-filled world” to be unhelpful. They usually amount to: “Have more will power to avoid distractions, unplug, and do things in batches.” I sometimes get upwards of 200 emails per day. I have many filters in place, so the dross gets autofiled and ignored. But if I batched the remainder, I would be facing a huge backlog every day, AND people who have come to expect swift response will be disappointed. (So I constantly look at my inbox, as things come in, and dispatch them quickly. My inbox is close to zero at all times.)

Therein lies the crux of the problem: In today’s world, it is reasonable to expect a response within an hour or two. And that is not necessarily bad.

But wait, that wasn’t what I wanted to write about. I was reading this article on reducing distractions, inwardly complaining, when I ran across this piece of advice:

“Make space for One Important Thing Everyday. The truth is everyday we only need to do one or at most two really important things, or tasks. Each day make a note of what that thing is and do it.For me today it was writing this blog post, it’s not that I didn’t do another productive stuff but it was the main important thing that I likely would put off unless I had a bit of a push.”

That strikes me as excellent advice. Every day, there is usually One Big Thing — the one thing that sets the tone for the day. Maybe I am delivering a big document, or reviewing a batch of notes, or holding some meeting. Whatever. Point is, even in a busy day there is typically one defining thing. I need to identify that and let it be the center of gravity.

The other things in the day? Well, they will get done, or they can become the One Big Thing for a subsequent day.

Looking back at my own behavior, I think I already tend to do this, only I have not articulated it.

What’s your One Big Thing today?