These days, our attention spans are about as fragile as a house of cards in a windstorm. Between geopolitical chaos, group chats blowing up with memes and hot takes, your kid’s soccer, basketball, and underwater basket weaving classes (okay, maybe not that last one…yet), the Zoom- and Teamsification of work, and the ever-present pull of social media, we’re all trying to do too much. Human beings were not built to do so many things at the same time all the time. So, what’s the answer? We should do less to achieve more in 2026.

Why our attention is so divided

Our brains haven’t evolved much since the days when “multitasking” meant remembering where we put down our stone tools while gathering berries and roots. Now, multitasking means watching a tutorial on YouTube, texting friends, nodding along during a meeting, and scrolling a social channel – all at the same time. If our brains had a “low battery” light, it would be flashing right now. Marc Bekoff’s wonderful article in Psychology Today explores whether our biological brains have been outrun by our cultural evolution:

My guess is that our fired up brains can’t keep up with everything with which they’re constantly subjected and that this feeling is wreaking havoc on the quality of life for far too many humans. It also will be interesting to learn how some people adapt to the incessant input and do just fine.

By focusing our thoughts on the right things and then investing in them, we can do less to achieve more in our work and life.

Journal

Journaling declutters your mental attic. Every day, jot down something good that happened—no matter how small. Maybe you finally found your lost sock. Maybe your kid made you laugh. Maybe you made it through the day without getting stuck in a group chat debate about pineapple pizza. There are lots of journaling tactics to try.

Write out your frustrations, your worries, and your victories. Pour it all onto the page, so you’re not stuck carrying it around like a bag of rocks. Journaling is a way to let go of stress and celebrate the good stuff. Plus, it’s cheaper than therapy and you don’t have to wait for an appointment.

People who work with me might say that my brain is “always going a mile a minute” or “in overdrive” or “hard to track” – journaling not only focuses my thoughts on to a page, but it also helps me connect ideas that I can use in work and life. Sharing motivation with others can be powerful, too. Reflect on a quote or a fun fact that you jotted down earlier in the day and send it to a friend.

When we review our writing, themes and patterns can emerge, too. I like to complete monthly reviews of my journaling. A theme that emerged in 2025 was that I got so much joy and challenge from coaching my kids’ basketball team. Based on this data, I’ll be increasing my investments of time and energy in coaching this year. Journaling is one of many tactics that can help us focus on the right things.  

Invest in the right things

Achieving more starts with doing less. This doesn’t mean being lazy (because laziness does not exist). When we focus on fewer things we can go deeper. My oldest son spent so much time decompressing and resting after a super busy first term of middle school, during which time he learned a new language, played multiple sports, learned the trombone, made new friends, and navigated all sorts of interpersonal shenanigans not uncommon for preteens.

Writing all of this out made me feel tired!

In 2026 we’re reducing activities so that there is time to focus on the people and things that matter most to him.

This principle applies to adults, too. Instead of juggling five side hustles, a book club, a volunteer gig, and learning Italian on Duolingo, pick the one or two things that matter most to you. Maybe it’s spending time with family, working on a passion project, or just taking a walk outside. The less you scatter your focus, the more meaningful—and enjoyable—your achievements become.

I have screen-envy (or focus-envy) towards my wife, who is her own person. She can spend a day in and out of meetings, spreadsheets, and presentations with one screen, which certainly helps lock-in-focus. During meetings, many of us shift our eyes to a second (or third or fourth screen if we’re using mobile devices!) to feed our distraction addiction and get a happy hit of dopamine to momentarily increase our joy when we should be focusing on the person or idea in front of us. Or, if we can’t focus, then changing our environment and going for a walk or reading a book (like, a paper one) might be the solution.

When you stop trying to do it all, you’ll probably accomplish more.

Less is more

…as an individual

2026 could be the year you finally stop trying to do “everything” and, instead, do “the right things more often”. Invest your time and energy wisely, journal your ups and downs, and watch your happiness – and achievements – grow. Your brain will thank you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even have time to learn underwater basket weaving after all.

…as a community

Whether it’s a corporation, school, or neighbourhood, we need to work more like octopuses (octopi?) in our organizations. HBR’s Jana Werner and Phil Le-Brun argue that we should stop calling organizations “machines” and instead use “octopus,” reflecting how today’s complex world requires flexible, adaptive models over rigid, traditional ones. The researchers even have a take on doing less to achieve more.

Do less to achieve more. Resist the urge to solve problems by adding another program or process. Look for where you can take things away—a process, a gatekeeper function, a dependency, an unproductive practice. Start small, at the business unit or team level. As new solutions take hold, let a frequent taste of progress engage people and build momentum for the long term. We worked with one organization that banned PowerPoint presentations in strategy meetings for six months. Removing a tool that often obscured meaning forced leaders to speak with greater clarity. Focusing on smaller changes in shorter increments creates more opportunities for impact—and the more frequently people experience progress, the more likely they are to be and stay engaged.

In 2026, thriving means thinking differently about ourselves and our role in the world: focus on outcomes over process, align with the big picture, apply critical and holistic thinking, prioritize people, and be able to embrace multiple perspectives simultaneously. These orientations require learning everywhere and always as well as continuous improvement of yourself and your community.

How will do you less to achieve more in the year ahead?