How to Reclaim Your Attention (and Your Life)

There is no shortage of things trying to claim our attention these days:

Notifications. News cycles. Marketers. Hollywood. Social Media. Podcasts. Politicians. Streaming Services. Spammers. Just to name a few.

I suppose people having to fight to keep their attention isn’t a new phenomenon in our day. But it is no doubt getting harder and harder for us to keep our attention on things that matter. Technology and finely-tuned algorithms based on our own preferences (and weaknesses) are making it easier for others to steal our attention—and harder and harder for us to keep.

Entire industries and platforms are built on the currency of our attention. And they are getting better at taking it from us every single day. After all, their bottom line is directly affected by how well they can capture our attention and turn our attention into action.

Unfortunately, that is the world around us and it’s only going to get worse. Indeed, perhaps the most important skill we need to learn for the 21st century is how to keep our attention and focus.

Of course, that may be the world we live in, but that doesn’t have to be the life we live.

No one can take our attention and attitude from us. They can tempt and taunt and scream and jostle for position, but we still ultimately determine what we choose to focus on. We hold those keys and nobody can take them from us. Because of that, it’s up to us to intentionally keep our attention on the things that contribute to the life we want to live and the contribution we want to make.

When we reclaim our attention, we reclaim our life. But this type of lifestyle rarely happens by accident. It happens only through intention.

If you feel a need in your life to reclaim the attention that has been subtly stolen from you, here’s how to accomplish that:

1. Make the most of the first hour of your day.

Henry Ward Beecher once said, “The first hour is the rudder of the day.” And I have found that to be entirely true in my own life. The way you spend the first part of your day tends to have a profound impact on the rest of it.

So choose to begin each day with intention, being careful of the voices you allow in. What you think about first often determines what you think about often.

Resist the urge to immediately check your phone, open email, or focus on voices that don’t contribute to your best day. Instead, start each day focused on things that help you.

Whatever that looks like for you, guard that first hour. Let it steer your day—before someone else does.

2. Define the goals for your day—and for your life.

When we don’t know where we’re going or what we want to accomplish, distractions will always win. On the other hand, the greater the dream we have for our lives, the more focused we become wanting to achieve it.

Of course, as the old saying goes, “We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day, but underestimate what we can accomplish in a lifetime.”

To reclaim our attention, both are important.

For me, every morning, I write down the 3 most important tasks for the day. It’s a simple practice, but it helps me stay on track. Identifying and pursuing our greatest values and goals requires stillness, solitude, and thoughtfulness. But the more you include them in your life, the easier it becomes to remove the other voices.

3. Identify what’s stealing your attention—by name.

You can’t win a battle if you don’t know what you’re fighting.

So be honest with yourself: What are the things that currently pull your attention away from what matters most?

Maybe it’s a certain news site. A video game. An app. A show. Maybe it’s not even digital—maybe it’s an addiction, gossip, clutter, or overcommitment.

You probably already know what it is. But still, write it down. Call it out. See it clearly. You can’t remove what you don’t first identify.

4. Learn the power of being intentionally ignorant.

There’s a quote by James Clear from Atomic Habits that I find particularly helpful in this conversation:

“Ignore topics that drain your attention. Unfollow people that drain your energy. Abandon projects that drain your time. Do not keep up with it all. The more selectively ignorant you become, the more broadly knowledgeable you can be.”

You don’t need to keep up with everything. You need to stay focused on what matters. Purposefully ignore topics and projects that drain your attention without adding value.

5. Notice where you go when you get down.

Our most vulnerable moments are often the ones when our attention is most easily stolen.

When we’re sad, anxious, lonely, or overwhelmed, it’s only natural to look for relief. But not all coping mechanisms are created equal.

Some are healthy: taking a walk, calling a friend, journaling, praying. Others—more common in our digital age—only deepen the problem: scrolling, emotional shopping, mindless binging, or numbing out in endless distraction. (There are even some allegations that social media companies target users with more ads when they’re feeling down).

So pay attention to your patterns. The next time you feel frustrated or empty or discouraged, notice where your attention goes. Are you turning toward something helpful—or something that only masks the discomfort?

6. Discern the difference between productive rest and distraction.

There is nothing wrong with rest. You need it. We all do.

But not all forms of rest are productive. Sometimes, what looks like rest is actually distraction in disguise.

Mindless scrolling might feel like a break, but often it leaves you more drained. Bingeing a show might seem like relaxation, but some studies claim the habit actually makes us more tired.

Make space for the kind of rest that actually helps you move forward, by knowing the difference and choosing wisely.

7. Protect your environment.

We don’t rise above our environment—we fall to it.

Our surroundings affect our attention more than we typically realize. To reclaim your attention and life, simplify. Clear the clutter. Reduce visual noise.

Here’s how to get started.

8. Make space for silence.

The world is loud. And the louder it gets, the more we need quiet. Silence clears the mind, brings focus and perspective.

Even five quiet minutes—no phone, no music—can help center you again. To better reclaim your attention, build short quiet moments into each day—and one longer period each week.

Your attention is yours to protect. No one else can guard it for you. And no one else has more to gain than you do.

So fight for it. Reclaim it. And stay vigilant in protecting it.