The world’s highest achievers embrace focusing on one task at a time. We are surrounded by distractions disguised as resources that make us believe we are not doing enough. At work, we manage several projects or clients simultaneously while messaging back and forth with our teammates about yet another topic. Sending an email on Outlook is followed up with a message on WhatsApp and then a job posting on the company’s LinkedIn page. You can never post enough. In school, it feels like you have to read 3 textbooks at once, take notes with your off hand, all while dribbling a basketball, pouring chemicals into a beaker, or organizing a spreadsheet. Do not confuse this with an argument that we shouldn’t sharpen our skills. But we have to ask, is it possible to get better at so many things, all at the same time?

Introducing NAFA. Take Notice. Analyze the situation. Focus on the necessary steps. Act accordingly.

I like when blogs focus on industry moguls like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, and others. Some of these names bring up mixed emotions. I also think a lot can be learned from stories about your everyday people.

Step 1: Notice.

Be observant. Observation does not have to lead to anything necessarily. Learn to observe constantly. It’s great if the outcome is learning a new skill, making more money, getting in better shape, or improving someone else’s life in some way. I have observed writers and their processes. I have interviewed successful business owners. I go to the gym regularly and watch people who are in amazing physical shape. I have also volunteered my time and witnessed great acts of kindness and community service. Maybe I learned something, maybe I eventually applied what I saw and it benefited me. The outcome shouldn’t determine your starting line.

Think about the last time you had lunch with a colleague or friend. Do you remember the who, what, when, where, and why? It’s okay if you don’t. Funny enough, a few months ago I learned something about myself as one of my coworkers noticed not what I was eating, but how I was eating my lunch.

I ordered some sushi, a cobb salad, and a water. It’s not my usual turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, bacon and mayo but it looked good that day. We found a quiet picnic table, it was a nice day, and sat down in the courtyard outside our office. I was still new to my job so we started talking about the town, its people, and the overall culture of the community based on my coworkers experience there.

As we ate I noticed something first. My coworker was watching each bite I took more intently than I felt was normal. “This is going to sound strange,” she said, “Do you realize you eat clockwise?”

I had never thought of it before. If you asked me now I would say that I like to have several flavors on my plate and switch between them throughout a meal. It’s not intentional, I just enjoy going back and forth. I am not sure if I always eat “clockwise” but I guess on this particular day it was very noticeable.

I still don’t think of it as a big deal but apparently you can find out a lot about a person from the way they attack their plates. Here is a interesting article I found that talks about fork stackers and food separatists. I don’t think I fall into either category really, and some of the studies seem a bit far fetched. But maybe there is something to be said for enjoying the taste of things individually and randomly. You can decide how much you want to read into it. Either way, my coworker noticed what I consider a very small detail and it might play to their advantage when small details matter at work, at home, and in life.

Step 2: Analyze.

Analyze your surroundings. Analyze yourself in relation to your surroundings.

It’s important for us to feel small sometimes. It keeps things in perspective. There is a big difference between feeling small from degradation and feeling small as part of something bigger than yourself. A common analogy is the size of cars and buildings when you fly in an airplane. However, soon you find yourself disconnected with the world below, high above the clouds, and you land in a whole other location with new cars and buildings. Let’s look at an example that is more tangible physically and mentally. An example that lets you truly connect with your environment.

Have you ever been skiing in the western United States? More specifically, have you skied in Colorado? For those unfamiliar, Vail Mountain’s famous Back Bowls are legendary.

As Bevin Wallace put it in her VailMag article, “These seemingly limitless expanses have no equal among American resorts. They strike awe into the hearts of the most seasoned skiers, including pro skier Chris Anthony (a Vail resident and Warren Miller athlete). “’I can only imagine how the Back Bowls must have looked when Earl Eaton took Pete Seibert there in the late ’50s—the sheer size and vastness of them,’” Anthony says. “’From certain angles, it appears to go on forever. And if you can get to them after a two-day storm … well, you’re in heaven.’”

Pictures rarely capture the pure size of a landscape, but yes, those little dots next to the literal trees are people.

The Back Bowls are a special example because of your control over such an impressive display of the vastness of nature. In the airplane example you are give a finite amount of time to interact with the little things you see on the ground. As a skier in the Back Bowls, you quickly realize how small you are and how small the world makes other people look. You can also stop to observe for as long as you want. If you look up at the picture again, you’ll notice how far away your destination is. The fun part of downhill skiing is choosing your route to the bottom of the mountain. Typical resorts have trails carved into wooded areas. The Back Bowls eventually lead to the ski lift at the bottom, but as shown from this perspective, there is no visible ski lift and hundreds of directions for getting there. The lines squiggling down the mountain are there to show you the path of others but also to offer you the freedom to choose your way down. Without stretching too far into the philosophical side of things, analyze like a skier in the Back Bowls. Pause at the top of the trail. Take a deep breath. What do you see? What do you feel? Leap down into your own path with the believe there is a ski lift at the end of your journey.

Step 3: Focus.

Be present. Think of “focus” as a verb. Decide what your center of interest will be and go for it with everything you’ve got.

My rule of focus defies the modern expectation that requires multitasking to feel successful. I work very hard to ease up, utilize patience, and reset my mind to make sure I am able to devote as much attention as I can to what I am doing.

When I workout, I zone out.

When I join team meetings, I listen, reflect, and respond to the conversation.

When I play with my son, I make eye contact, laugh, and let him know he is my only priority at that time.

The Cleveland Clinic provides healthcare and insights for how we live. They stated that multitasking doesn’t work and discussed why, “Studies show that when our brain is constantly switching gears to bounce back and forth between tasks–especially when those tasks are complex and require our active attention–we become less efficient and more likely to make a mistake.”

Multi-tasking divides our focus. It spreads our attention span too thin and can lead to distraction, mistakes, and dangerous situations. This can also be a con from effective practice. Practice build confidence and eventually we can get to a point of feeling too comfortable. I tie my shoes every day. I could probably do it with my eyes closed too. But if I tried to tie my shoes while driving (which I have tried) it could lead to much more serious consequences. Nothing, no thing is as important as having a tomorrow. I was late for a meeting. If you are late, be late.

Some final thoughts about focus and being present, or as my dad likes to say, “Be more than in the moment, be behind the moment.”

Be present at work, especially when you are with other people. Focus on the team in front of you. Focus on the customer in front of you. Not the emails on your phone. Not the online order on your computer.

Be present when you want to create something special. Turn off distractions. Take the time to write another page or to do another rep. Next time, it will feel easier.

Be present when forming thoughts and conversation. Take the time to edit your email, to stay on the phone with a fried for 5 more minutes, and to prioritize a 10 minute walk alone each day. The minutes and efforts add up.

Be present.

Step 4: Act.

Nothing is guaranteed. Becoming a top achieving, successful professional in ANY industry means outperforming 99% of other people. When I say industry, I think about dreams. I wanted to play professional baseball. I want to be the best dad. I want to be a top level leader in higher education. I want to own a successful blogging business. I want to write a book. Check out 5 reasons why taking action is exactly what you need to achieve success.

1. Action is agile. Never underestimate the ability to maneuver.
2. Action is motion. Stay in motion. Learn as much as possible.
3. Action defines habits. Choose more good than bad.
4. Action shows you what’s possible. Believe you can. It’s not always doing more, but doing better.
5. Action grants you knowledge. Study the reactions to your actions. Reflect. Adapt. Repeat.

Take action. Pursue your dreams. Surprise yourself with how far you go and what you accomplish along the way. As always, practice optimism.