Solve for Now

Intention, Attention, Action: The Miracle in the Middle

My productivity friend,

What I’m about to share is so different from conventional productivity advice that it requires a preface, not a hook. I want you to know where I’m going so you can stay with me.

We’ll start simply, on familiar ground: to get work done, you first need to pay attention to it. If your immediate reaction is “R.J.! I can’t control my attention!”, let me reassure you: my definition of attention doesn’t rely on your control over it. We need systems, not willpower. Our systems must provide our attention the nourishment it needs to take action.

Where we’ll go from there is, as far as I know, unique to Action-Powered Productivity. Over time, we become more productive — and more attuned to the actions that are important in our lives — by reducing the attention that actions require. I’ll show you what that means, how to do it, and how it improves your life and your work.

The Missing Middle: Attention

There’s a gap between knowing what you should do and actually doing it. We intend to write that report, follow up with that client, or complete that project, yet somehow it doesn’t happen, which leaves us feeling guilty and confused.

What’s missing isn’t more intention. It’s attention — the crucial bridge between what we intend to do and what we actually accomplish.

In his recent book The Sirens’ Call, Chris Hayes argues that attention has become “the world’s most endangered resource.” Information nowadays is overabundant, but attention remains limited. And, as Hayes puts it, “If someone takes your attention, they have it, and you no longer do.”

We’re not only battling ideas or work with legitimate claims to our attention, but also games, ads, and social media that are psychologically designed to steal our attention from us. If the systems we create can’t nourish and reinforce our attention, that’s a battle we’re going to lose.

A Productivity Definition of Attention

The problem with attention is that it needs to be fed. The more we try to force our attention on something useless or uninteresting, the more aggressively it resists us. But when there’s useful stuff for our attention to feed on, we naturally engage and reap the benefits.

As a result, attention in a productivity context is not forcing yourself to focus on an action. Productivity attention is about creating an environment where everything you need to act is directly in front of you:

  • The information you need to make decisions
  • The links to relevant tools and resources
  • The procedures that eliminate rework
  • The templates that store previously completed work
  • The automations that reduce manual effort

When we set up productivity systems, we’re not just capturing tasks. We’re creating containers for attention. We’re ensuring that when the time comes to act, our attention will already — and automatically — have everything required to execute the action in front of it.

This rewards our attention. It is placed on action, and there are useful things on hand to feed it until the action is complete.

Intention → Attention → Action

When we embrace this philosophy, here’s what’s really happening in productive work:

  1. Intention: You decide to do something
  2. Attention: Your focus settles on the materials needed to complete the task
  3. Action: You execute because all necessary resources are right there

Most productivity approaches either ignore the middle step or try to force attention through sheer willpower. But attention shouldn’t be a battle of will. It should be a pathway paved by good system design.

If your notes show up when you need them; if your tasks are clear and actionable; if your plan for the coming day is realistic but flexible; then your system will supply what your attention needs, and your attention will facilitate action with far less effort.

And, yes, there’s time and energy required to optimize your systems. But it’s a heck of a lot easier to develop notes that surface when you need them than it is to take action when you don’t have the right information at your fingertips.

(If you want a deeper dive into those mechanics, I’m hosting a free workshop on May 6.)

Capture Recurrence: The Method to the Miracle

Now that we’ve reframed some traditional productivity advice in terms of attention, it’s time for Action-Powered Productivity to diverge from conventional wisdom.

There’s a useful irony here, and we’re going to leverage it. When you configure your system to bring the right information and tools to your attention, you also guarantee that you will need less attention to complete your work.

That’s the miracle: Over time, the more attention you feed, the less attention you need.

Imagine if writing a client proposal only required adding a few words to a template. Or if sharing meeting notes with your team demanded only a button click to activate an automation. That’s the “minimum-attention-required” magic you unlock when you capture recurrence.

Capturing recurrence is the process of recognizing patterns in your work, then creating systems that bake in more and more of the mechanics to support those patterns. With each iteration, you reduce the attention load:

  • Procedures define exact steps and reduce undiscovered rework by cutting down on errors.
  • Templates store work you’ve already completed, so you don’t have to reinvent your wheels.
  • Automations can eliminate the need for attention altogether.

Think about what happens when you develop expertise in any domain. At first, each step requires intense focus. But over time, expertise allows you to perform complex sequences without conscious thought.

Your productivity system can develop this same quality. Deliberately capture recurrence, and you will store the lessons of each completed task as improvements to your system.

Reframing Procrastination

When we discuss procrastination in productivity, we typically frame it as a psychological challenge: a lack of motivation or discipline. But what if procrastination isn’t primarily a psychological issue? What if it’s simply what happens when your attention lacks the resources it needs?

By ensuring your attention has everything it needs, you sidestep the motivation quagmire. You’re no longer fighting yourself; you’re simply following a path.

As your system captures more recurrence, the attention requirement continues to shrink until some work flows directly from intention to action. The middle step, attention, doesn’t disappear entirely, but it becomes so frictionless that it barely registers as a separate phase. And as this friction evaporates, procrastination will too.

The most advanced state of Action-Powered Productivity, then, isn’t perfect organization or flawless execution: it’s the gradual compression of the attention required to move from intention to action.

This creates a virtuous cycle: as routine tasks require less attention, you have more attention available for deeper, more creative work, the kind that can’t be systematized and deserves your full presence. And what’s more, the attention you save is available for passionate pursuits and the people you love.

What Action Will You Take?

Hayes begins his book with the metaphor of Odysseus tied to the mast to resist the sirens’ call — a powerful image of our struggle to direct our attention where we truly want it to go. In our digital world, we face countless sirens calling for our attention from every direction.

But unlike Odysseus, we can do more than simply resist. We can build systems that progressively reduce how much attention our necessary work requires.

Beyond attending the free workshop on May 6, I also suggest you try out this field work:

  1. Identify one action in your work or life that you take regularly.
  2. Document exactly what information and resources your attention needs to complete it.
  3. Ask: “How could I reduce the attention this requires next time?”
  4. Implement that improvement through a template, procedure, checklist, or automation.

Remember, the goal isn’t to do more. It’s to free your attention for what matters most while ensuring everything important gets done.

Over time, you’ll develop a productivity system that doesn’t just organize your work but actively reduces its cognitive demands. This will allow intention to flow directly into action, with progressively less strain on your limited attention.

I’m in the free APP community if you want to learn more about attention, and there are premium live events in the $9/month APP Pioneers community if you want a deeper dive into your productivity growth.

Your attention is your most precious resource. Feed it well, so you’ll need it less.

Your productivity friend,
R.J.

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