This is an Ancient Roman phrase I find echoing in my brain:

"Age Quod Agis"

Translation: Do what you are doing.

A simple concept, yet so very powerful in the attention-splintered world we live in.

Most failure isn't due to a lack of effort, but to a lack of focused effort. We take on more and more, but accomplish less and less. We run faster and faster, but find we are getting nowhere.

Science backs this up: The concept of attention residue says that there is a cognitive switching cost to shifting your attention from one task to another. You think you’ve moved on—but part of your brain is still stuck on the last thing. You’re one foot in, one foot out...on everything you do.

Age Quod Agis is a call to action:

• Be present in the moment
• Be intentional about your attention
• Be fully absorbed in the task at hand

So in the week ahead, let's live by this simple phrase:

• At Work: Stop multitasking. Focus on one thing and do it with your full attention. Then move onto the next thing.
• At Home: Be fully there with your people. Energy is more important than time. 5 minutes of present energy is worth more than an hour of scattered energy. Remember that.

When you're drifting, distracted, or anxious, remember those simple words.

Age Quod Agis. Do what you are doing.

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