Hello Reader,

I’ve noticed something lately: the more tools I have to see the big picture, the less clear that picture becomes.

I’ve got systems that map projects, tasks, themes, priorities—all the things. But there’s a point where visibility becomes noise: you see too much, and nothing stands out.

That tension is exactly why I built TimeCrafting — to narrow the field, to choose themes, to define pathways of attention. Time theming, attention paths, and even the Spheres of Attention aren’t about limiting your potential; they’re about giving it direction.

Steven Pressfield once shared a simple trick: use a single sheet of foolscap paper to outline your entire project. If it can’t fit, you haven’t yet distilled your focus. That idea has been echoing in my head as I work on my current writing project. If your map isn’t compact, you haven’t clarified what actually matters.

So lately I’ve been giving myself fewer choices—reducing decisions, cutting cruft, locking in on a few things that really count. No more dozens of tasks competing for attention, just a handful that earn it.

One of the tools I’ve been testing in service of that is Bento Focus. Its promise is simple: pick up to three priorities, work those, and let the rest fade into the background. It’s not about cranking harder. It’s about choosing where to really lean in.

I've long been a fan of what Francesco and the team at Keep Productive do, and Bento Focus is another extension of their efforts. And it's a pretty solid extension.

Would love to hear: how many priorities are you trying to juggle these days?

– Mike

P.S. If you want a clean experiment in narrowing, Bento Focus is worth trying. I’ll be reporting back on how it shifts the way I work.

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