“Attention without intention is wasted energy.”

Why it was said

Chris Bailey uses this line in Hyperfocus to explain why his method begins with setting an intention before any focused work starts. Without a deliberate choice of what to attend to, attention drifts to whatever is newest and loudest around you.

What it actually means

Attention is the scarce resource the book is about, and Bailey's point is that it always goes somewhere. If you do not choose where, your surroundings choose for you: the notification, the tab that is already open, the easiest task on the list. You can be busy all day in that mode and never touch the work that mattered. Intention is the step that gives attention a target. It is small, often just deciding what the next block of time is for before you begin, but it changes what the effort produces. Focus without that choice is like driving hard with no destination.

How to use it

1. 1Before you open your laptop, write one sentence: what this next hour is for.
2. 2Set a check-in every hour and ask whether you are working on what you intended or on whatever arrived.
3. 3Deniz, a freelance designer in Eskişehir, writes her three intentions for the day on a sticky note before she checks any messages; the note decides how much the messages get.