Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day

Imagine waking up each day with a clear intention, a single shining beacon guiding your time and energy. This is the essence of choosing a daily Highlight — a practice that transforms the chaotic blur of busyness into a collection of meaningful moments. We do not remember days, we remember moments. This simple truth invites us to reconsider how we experience time. Instead of being swept away by endless to-dos and distractions, what if we anchored our day around one priority — a Highlight that brings satisfaction, joy, or urgency?

Consider the story of someone who realized that despite being productive, their days felt empty and indistinct. They had mastered efficiency, yet their experience of life was one of missing months, a time blur where weeks slipped by unnoticed. The solution was surprisingly straightforward: focus on one Highlight each day. This shift from reactive busyness to intentional focus created space for memorable moments and a sense of accomplishment.

Choosing a Highlight isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters. The ideal Highlight lasts between 60 and 90 minutes — enough time to dive deep and enter a state of flow, yet short enough to maintain energy and focus. Writing down your Highlight — whether on a sticky note, a calendar, or a digital app — increases your commitment and primes your brain for success. This act of writing is a gentle but powerful ritual, setting the tone for your day.

Imagine waking with a sticky note on your desk that simply says, “Finish chapter one,” or “Play with kids,” or “Plan vacation.” This note becomes your north star, helping you resist the pull of endless email and social media. It’s not about perfection; it’s about presence. When you focus on your Highlight, you reclaim your time from the default chaos.

The power of the Highlight is that it creates a positive feedback loop. As you complete your Highlight, you feel satisfaction and joy, fueling the desire to continue this practice. This is the foundation for breaking free from the Busy Bandwagon and the Infinity Pools of distraction that dominate modern life.

Now that we understand the transformative power of choosing a daily Highlight, we can explore how to protect this precious time from the distractions that vie for our attention. The next step is learning how to enter Laser mode — a state of deep focus where your Highlight receives your full, undivided attention.