Name it before you do it

Yesterday you noticed the gap between your hands and your head. Today, close it at the front end — before the task starts, not halfway through.

Attention has a starting move, and it's almost too plain to trust: name the thing you're about to do. Epictetus drilled his students with it. "When you are going about any action, remind yourself of what nature the action is. If you are going to bathe, represent to yourself the things which usually happen in the bath: some persons dashing the water; some pushing and crowding; others giving abusive language" (Enchiridion 4, Carter). Picture the real thing, crowding and splashing and all, before you step in.

It works on a shift the same way. I'm about to take this call. I'm about to lift this, sign this, walk into this room. Said plainly, the task stops being a vague next-thing in a blur of next-things and becomes one definite act you can actually aim at. The cook, the nurse, the driver, the parent packing lunches at six — each does better having named the next move than sliding into it on autopilot.

You can't attend to a task you never quite admitted you were doing.