The whole mind on the one thing

Here's the practice, and it's the heart of the week. Whatever is in front of you right now — put your whole mind on it. Not most of your mind while the rest scans for what's next. All of it.

Marcus held himself to this in plain terms: "In discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement thou must observe what is doing" (Meditations 7.4, Long). Attend to what is said. Not nod along while drafting your reply. Observe what is doing — be in the thing your hands are on, not three steps past it. When someone is talking to you, be in the talking. When you're working at a thing, be in the doing.

The day fights this constantly. A customer is mid-sentence and your eyes are already on the next in line. A coworker explains the change and you're checking your phone. You finish the shift with a dozen things half-attended and nothing fully done, and you call that being busy.

Try the opposite once. One task, one conversation, the whole mind in it until it's finished. You'll notice two things: it goes faster, and you actually remember it.