Much of what Hyatt has written is not new to me. As I noted, I am interested in productivity, so I have read a lot on the subject. However, the ultimate purpose for all this productivity is what sets this book apart.
Hyatt’s 250-page book is organized into three parts, each having three chapters. The three parts are Stop, Cut, and Act.
Before I talk about each section, I wanted to point out that Hyatt is a master storyteller. It is one of the reasons that I regularly listen to his podcast, Lead to Win. This book is also well researched. Hyatt not only brought his personal stories to these pages but also provided ample examples of countless others. He supported each instance with detailed research.
Free to Focus has a call to action at the end of each chapter. Hyatt set up specific activities that he wanted readers to do. He supported these activities with worksheets that he curated on his website.
Stop
You need to know what you are doing, what is essential, and where you want to go before you can start cutting items from your routine. Only then can you start changing your behavior. For Hyatt, the Stop step focuses on three tasks: formulate, evaluate, and rejuvenate.
First, Hyatt suggested that you determine what you want in life. Basically, what is your vision for your life? While he provided some options, the option that he is guiding you to is freedom.
Once you have a vision in place, Hyatt then wanted you to evaluate all the tasks you are doing through his Freedom Compass. Since Hyatt has been around the podcasting circuits promoting his book, I have become familiar with the Freedom Compass. It will help you stay on course in achieving your vision.
Hyatt also explored the concept of rejuvenation. He listed seven tasks that you should do daily to recharge your batteries: sleep, eat, move, connect, play, reflect, and unplug. People falsely believe that you can get more done by working harder and longer. Actually, your body rejects this belief. You are more productive when you are adequately rested.
Cut
The section on cutting activities from your routine and schedule mirrored what Tim Ferriss shared in his book, The 4-Hour Workweek. Hyatt outlined his ideas in three chapters: eliminate, automate, and delegate.
When eliminating tasks, Hyatt recommended getting better at saying no to requests. You can only accomplish so much during your 168 hours in the week. Saying yes to one thing is saying no to another. Which task is in line with your Freedom Compass? He presented a strategy for saying no politely. The other part of eliminating tasks is to review your task list and making hard decisions on what you will continue to do or stop doing.
The next chapter focused on automating. This chapter had a lot of great ideas for implementing automation in your processes. Many of them I currently used, but Hyatt contributed new strategies that I need to consider.
Finally, Hyatt discussed delegation as a tool to cut tasks from your list. These are tasks that still need to be done, but you can delegate tasks to others. Ideally, you want to find people who love to do the tasks that you are transferring. It has to be in line with their Freedom Compass. For example, I don’t like accounting. It is evident because I received Bs in those courses. However, some people live to do accounting. I am so glad.
Act
In the last section of Free to Focus, it is about putting this all into action. Hyatt shared his approach of consolidating, designating, and activating. In the consolidation phase, Hyatt discussed the concept of mega-batching. These are periods of uninterrupted work where you are focusing on one task.
Hyatt also encouraged readers to map out their ideal week. You will use this map to try to stay on schedule. Ideally, you will communicate this plan with others so that you can better adhere to the schedule. During your weekly schedule, you will block out time to batch work on tasks. I have started to do this at work with very positive results. I have not yet taken it to the level that Hyatt has prescribed.
To prepare for scheduling your upcoming week, Hyatt recommended conducting a weekly preview. During this preview, you will examine your previous week for improvements, look at your goals and projects, and identify the three major tasks that you want to complete by the end of the week. Naturally, you will have to take into account meetings that you already have. Each day should include three tasks that you want to complete during the day. Ideally, these tasks will help you achieve your three weekly tasks. Ensure that you include time for your rejuvenation tasks in your schedule. Hyatt offered strategies for how to build a robust plan that takes into account all these ideas.
Finally, Hyatt shared ideas for managing distractions. These distractions may come in the form of walk-ins, email, or always-on devices. The goal is to set boundaries for these distractions. I just installed and set up Freedom to help me better control distractions. I am curious about how it works.
Final Thoughts
As I noted in the beginning, there was not a lot of new concepts in the book. But I really liked how he pulled it all together and explained it. Productivity is an area I have been working on. Hyatt’s structure will help me put my plans into motion.
If you are looking for more structure in your life and want to create an experience where you are accomplishing meaningful goals, I would definitely recommend that you read Free to Focus.
Additional Reading
- Book Review: Get It Done: The 21-Day Mind Hack System to Double Your Productivity and Finish What You Start
- A Simple Tool That Can Give a Boost to Productivity
- Book Review: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
- Book Review: The Compound Effect
- Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek
- Book Review: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
- Book Review: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself
- Book Review: Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work That Matters
- Book Review: The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months
- Book Review: SYSTEMology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits With Proven Business Systems
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