Practical Productivity: Week 2 — Protecting Your Time & Focus

If clarity helps us decide what matters, time helps us decide when it happens.

Last week, we focused on choosing one priority. This week, we’re talking about protecting the time and focus needed to actually move that priority forward — something many of us struggle with, even when we know what we should be working on.

As small business owners, our days are often fragmented. A few minutes here, an interruption there, a constant pull toward emails, texts, and notifications. We’re “working,” but rarely with the kind of focus that creates real progress.

In Practical Productivity, Monisha Longacre reminds us that productivity isn’t about squeezing more into our schedules. It’s about intentionally protecting space for what matters most.

“You don’t need more time — you need fewer interruptions.”

Why Focus Matters

Focus is where momentum lives. Without it, even simple tasks take longer than they should. With it, progress feels lighter and more satisfying.

Many of us underestimate how draining constant task-switching can be. Every interruption — a notification, a quick check of email, a conversation we weren’t planning — pulls our attention away and makes it harder to return fully to what we were doing.

Monisha puts it plainly:

“Fragmented time leads to fragmented results.”

This Week’s Focus

This week isn’t about redesigning your entire schedule. It’s about protecting one small pocket of time and seeing what happens.

Your focus this week:
👉 Protect one uninterrupted hour.

That’s it.

Choose one hour this week and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment. Put it on your calendar. Let others know you’re unavailable. Silence notifications. Close extra tabs.

Use that hour to work on the priority you identified last week — the thing that actually moves your business forward.

Monisha often reminds her clients:

“Focused time, even in small doses, is where real progress begins.”

What to Expect

That one hour may feel uncomfortable at first. You might notice how often you’re tempted to check something “just for a second.” That awareness alone is valuable.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about practice.

Over time, protecting your focus becomes less of a struggle and more of a habit — one that supports both productivity and peace of mind.

Looking Ahead

As we continue this 12-week series, we’ll keep building on these ideas: clarity, focus, boundaries, systems, and sustainability. Later this spring, Monisha will be joining us to speak to the group and will also offer an optional in-depth workshop for those who want to create systems that truly support their work and lives.

For now, stay here.

Choose the hour.
Protect your focus.
See what moves forward.