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Why your focus is costing your career

2026-03-01 · Short · Ali · recording, 1:13 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Productivity and time · mode: Explanation and tutorial

In a Short, Ali gives one simple way to improve focus in 2026: log the minutes you spend focusing in a blank Google Doc called a focus log, typing @now at the start and end of each stretch, then use the number to spot what helps you focus.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Tracking focus minutes in a Google Doc focus log and learning from the data

  • ★★★ To improve focus, Ali advises tracking the minutes you spend focusing on a task or project, most simply in a blank Google Doc named a focus log: type @now to insert the current time when you start and again when you stop. — 00:00:00 · Google Docs
  • ★★ A Google Sheet or a time-tracking app also works for a focus log, but from coaching thousands of people Ali finds the simpler solution is often best, at least until the habit is built. — 00:00:29
  • ★★ When you track the minutes you spend focusing, Ali says, you will probably find the number is a lot lower than you thought. (hedged) — 00:00:29
  • ★★ Once you measure your focus minutes, Ali says, the number is a source of truth to improve on: you start seeing patterns, such as focusing longer at a coffee shop or better in the morning than the evening. — 00:00:29

00:01:08 — Invitation to follow for more

Threads in this video

  • refine · Should you track how you spend your time? — To improve focus, Ali advises tracking the minutes you spend focusing on a task or project, most simply in a blank Google Doc named a focus log: type @now to insert the current time when you start and again when you stop. (00:00:00)

Mentioned

Central: time tracking

Also: Google Docs

Also centred on time tracking: Stop Wasting Time - 11 Tools to Double Your Focus · 6 Habits to Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet · How to Change Your Life with Deep Work (My System)

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