OBJECTIVE:
One of the most common challenges in the workplace today is staying focused on the work at hand when constantly interrupted.  Ironically, the importance for focus has never been greater than it is today.  Or seemingly harder to achieve.  The technology we enjoy allows us unprecedented productivity through easy access to information, ideas and individuals.  It also has the undesired effect of overwhelming us with too much information and fracturing our focus.  We live in the age of distraction - where the steady and abundant input from multiple devices, programs, apps and social media connections, as well as the many work, family and social commitments all turn into a fog of distraction. 

The role of the CPA is changing, but the need for professional judgment and the need to focus and discern has never been greater. One of the greatest challenges for CPAs today is maintaining a clear, focused mind amidst a sea of distractions and competing interests. The COVID-19 pandemic and the need to work from home have created enormous challenges to our ability to focus (anxiety, lack of structure, kids at home, constant news updates). 

The course provides the tools to take back control of your day.  Participants can expect to recover between 30 to 90 minutes of ‘found time’ every day.  They can also expect to routinely take care of what is most important each day and to do so with greater focus and in less time.  All of which allows them to no longer feel exhausted from a full day of work and yet still guilty about not having worked enough.  Simply put, they accomplish more in less time and feel better about themselves.

This one-day program (split over two half-day sessions) gives CPAs the knowledge, tools and practices to take control of the most their most precious asset: their attention and what they choose to focus on. 

WHO WILL BENEFIT:
Everyone

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completing this seminar, you should be able to:

• recover 30-90 minutes of ‘found’ time in your day that was previously lost to unimportant activities or inefficient work habits.  This ‘found’ time can be reinvested in activities to build and sustain focus and productivity habits,
• stay focused longer, be less distracted and get your work completed quicker,
• differentiate and choose between work that is important versus that which unimportant and implement practical strategies to delete much of the overwhelm in your world and manage or redirect the unimportant work.
• have the tools to train your brain to notice internal mental distractions and choose more wisely where you want to place and hold your focus and attention,
• have the implementation tools you need to create new habits that will allow you to be The Focused CPA, and
• experience greater end-of-day satisfaction with the work that you accomplished and have greater peace of mind.

CONTENT:
Module 1: Finding Focus in the Age of Distraction 

•  The neuroscience behind distraction and why finding focus today is more difficult than ever. 
• How to prevent developing an ADHD-like mind when you aren’t ADHD.
• Practical tips to eliminate much of the overwhelm in your world or significantly manage many of the distractions that currently beckon for your attention. 
• The importance of taking control of your attentional space (hint: it is more than just productivity, it affects everything from your happiness to your creativity to your relationships). 
• A simple practice to train and reset your brain throughout the day. 
• And importantly, the tools and practices to create and maintain habit change following the course. 

Module 2: Honing and Maintaining Focus 

• A review and check in on how it went after Session 1 with opportunity for real time coaching to help them break through any challenges that came up. 
• How to develop the mindset of Essentialism and Deep Work (hint: it’s not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done). 
• How to use ‘overwhelm’ as a signal from your mental ‘dashboard’ that you need to minimize what is getting into your attentional space. 
• The Three Habits of The Focused CPA and how to:
• Own Your Morning
• Own Your Day
• Own Your Evening and Sleep
• Why sleep and renewal are the foundation for optimizing our focus. And why stillness and clear intention is needed more than ever in a world filled with speed, noise and increasing complexity. 
• A simple practice to train and reset your brain throughout the day.
• And importantly, the tools and practices to create and maintain habit change following the course. 

COURSE LEADER: SCOTT ORTH, M.Sc, CHRP