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The One Focus Shift That Changed My Entire Approach to Work

Jane Grismer
2 min readFeb 16, 2025

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Photo by Nicole Wolf on Unsplash

I used to think productivity was about speed.
Do more. Do it faster. Get through the list.

But no matter how hard I worked, it always felt like I was treading water — busy, but not moving forward.

Then I made one simple shift.

Instead of asking:
How much can I get done today?

I started asking:
What’s the one thing that actually moves me forward?

That change rewired everything.

Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

Why Speed Alone Doesn’t Work

Rushing through tasks makes you feel productive. But:
⚡ Speed without direction = wasted effort.
⚡ Checking boxes ≠ making progress.
⚡ More isn’t better — better is better.

The problem? Most people confuse motion with momentum.

They focus on doing everything instead of doing the right things.

The Focus Shift That Changed Everything

The moment I started prioritizing impact over activity, things clicked.

Now, every day, I ask:
🔹 What’s the one task that will make the biggest difference?
🔹 Where can I go deeper instead of just going faster?
🔹 What can I ignore, delay, or eliminate?

Less busywork. More real progress.

Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash

How to Apply This Shift Today

1️⃣ Start with impact. Don’t just work hard — work on what actually moves the needle.

2️⃣ Shrink your task list. Most of it doesn’t matter. Find the 20% that does.

3️⃣ Measure results, not effort. Stop counting hours. Track progress that actually

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Jane Grismer
Jane Grismer

Written by Jane Grismer

Writer | Designer | Productivity + Empowerment Coach✨ Helping You Master Focus + Skill Stacking | ADHD 🦋

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