--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To become genuinely productive, we must…" description: "\"“To become genuinely productive, we must take control of our attention; we must build mental models that put us firmly in charge. When you’re driving t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png" --- # To become genuinely productive, we must take control of… ![“To become genuinely productive, we must take control of our attention; we must build mental models that put us firmly in charge. When you’re driving to work, force yourself to envision your day. While you’re sitting in a meeting or at lunch, describe to yourself what you’re seeing and what it…” quote by Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png) > ““To become genuinely productive, we must take control of our attention; we must build mental models that put us firmly in charge. When you’re driving to work, force yourself to envision your day. While you’re sitting in a meeting or at lunch, describe to yourself what you’re seeing and what it means. Find other people to hear your theories and challenge them. Get in a pattern of forcing yourself to anticipate what’s next.”” [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Productivity requires deliberate attention control and mental modeling; visualizing tasks, verbalizing observations, and seeking feedback sharpen focus. **In simple terms:** Control attention, model tasks, get feedback. Key Takeaway Practice active visualization and feedback loops. Themes productivity attention mental modeling Mood practical instructive Type self‑help business When to use this quote - work - study - creative projects - team meetings Key Concepts cognitive science habit formation self‑management Questions to Reflect On - How will you integrate daily visualization? - Who can you ask to challenge your assumptions? A Different Perspective Maintaining focus is hard in a distracted world. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) ## Related quotes > [As much as we pump iron and we run to build our strength up, we need to build our mental strength up... so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/as-much-as-we-pump-iron-and-we-run-to-build-our-strength-up-we-need/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [I found that to build mental toughness, you need to inconvenience yourself. The early morning runs, if you hate early mornings. The late night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-found-that-to-build-mental-toughness-you-need-to-inconvenience/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [Driving to work is a nightmare in most Indian cities; people do it because they have little choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sucheta-dalal/driving-to-work-is-a-nightmare-in-most-indian-cities-people-do-it/) [Sucheta Dalal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sucheta-dalal/) > [That's the great thing about a series: you're driving to work, and you have an idea for a story for your characters, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/that-s-the-great-thing-about-a-series-you-re-driving-to-work-and-you/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [Think of a world where there is no ride-sharing; people are driving themselves to work. You now have 30 people being served by 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/think-of-a-world-where-there-is-no-ride-sharing-people-are-driving/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [Nobody wants to sit there and study lyrics the whole time, driving back from work when they just got their check after a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-t-genasis/nobody-wants-to-sit-there-and-study-lyrics-the-whole-time-driving/) [O. T. Genasis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-t-genasis/) > [My 'check engine' light came on while driving to work this morning. I looked and the engine is still there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-check-engine-light-came-on-while-driving-to-work-this-morning-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my case, the listener is often in an automobile driving to work. You can concentrate on the road while still getting an audio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/in-my-case-the-listener-is-often-in-an-automobile-driving-to-work-you/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) > [Whenever I write lyrics, in the back of my mind I always see a guy driving to work, driving to a really bad job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/whenever-i-write-lyrics-in-the-back-of-my-mind-i-always-see-a-guy/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Driving to work playing the 'Let's see how long I can drive with my gas light on.' game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/driving-to-work-playing-the-let-s-see-how-long-i-can-drive-with-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is amazing how little effort most people make to improve control of their attention. If reading a book seems too difficult, instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-amazing-how-little-effort-most-people-make-to-improve-control/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [“A team of researchers at the University of Oregon explored the link between cognitive control and intelligence in several ways, including an attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-team-of-researchers-at-the-university-of-oregon-explored-the-link/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“In retrospect, the word “remote control” was ultimately a misnomer. What it finally did was to empower the more impulsive circuits of the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/in-retrospect-the-word-remote-control-was-ultimately-a-misnomer-what/) [tim wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [“Flow neatly separates the two forms of effort: concentration on the task and the deliberate control of attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/flow-neatly-separates-the-two-forms-of-effort-concentration-on-the/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Concentration, itself, is nothing but a matter of control of the attention! Learn to fix your attention on a given subject, at will, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/concentration-itself-is-nothing-but-a-matter-of-control-of-the/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) ## More by Charles Duhigg > [“If you want to stop smoking, ask yourself, do you do it because you love nicotine, or because it provides a burst of stimulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/if-you-want-to-stop-smoking-ask-yourself-do-you-do-it-because-you/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“What matters are five key norms,” he told the audience. Teams need to believe that their work is important. Teams need to feel their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/what-matters-are-five-key-norms-he-told-the-audience-teams-need-to/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [America has always had an apocalyptic strain. Yet it also seems to believe that if, or when, The End comes, it will still come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-has-always-had-an-apocalyptic-strain-yet-it-also-seems-to/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Bromates are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, but officials are required to test for them only when water leaves a treatment plant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/bromates-are-regulated-by-the-safe-drinking-water-act-but-officials/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/habits-scientists-say-emerge-because-the-brain-is-constantly-looking/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Between calculated risk and reckless decision-making lies the dividing line between profit and loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/between-calculated-risk-and-reckless-decision-making-lies-the/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Older Americans are perfect telemarketing customers, analysts say, because they are often at home, rely on delivery services, and are lonely for the companionship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/older-americans-are-perfect-telemarketing-customers-analysts-say/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits - practical, emotional, and intellectual - systematically organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/all-our-life-so-far-as-it-has-definite-form-is-but-a-mass-of-habits/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“Someday soon, say predictive analytics experts, it will be possible for companies to know our tastes and predict our habits better than we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/someday-soon-say-predictive-analytics-experts-it-will-be-possible-for/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“I love Paul O'Neill, but you could not pay me enough to work for him again" one official told me. "the man has never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/i-love-paul-o-neill-but-you-could-not-pay-me-enough-to-work-for-him/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“THE FRAMEWORK: • Identify the routine • Experiment with rewards • Isolate the cue • Have a plan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/the-framework-identify-the-routine-experiment-with-rewards-isolate/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Barium, which is commonly found in power plant waste and scrubber wastewater, has been linked to heart problems and diseases in other organs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/barium-which-is-commonly-found-in-power-plant-waste-and-scrubber/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [A movement starts because of the social habits of friendship and the strong ties between close acquaintances. It grows because of the habits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/a-movement-starts-because-of-the-social-habits-of-friendship-and-the/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“In some sense, he said, a community was a giant collection of habits occurring among thousands of people that, depending on how they’re influenced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/in-some-sense-he-said-a-community-was-a-giant-collection-of-habits/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) [Explore all 293 Charles Duhigg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) [Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To become genuinely productive, we must take control of our attention; we must build mental models that put us firmly in charge. When you’re driving to work, force yourself to envision your day. While you’re sitting in a meeting or at lunch, describe to yourself what you’re seeing and what it means. Find other people to hear your theories and challenge them. Get in a pattern of forcing yourself to anticipate what’s next.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Duhigg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-take-control-of-our-attention/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Focus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-take-control-of-our-attention/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d65/charles-duhigg-1088_focus_to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-t_2386924.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To become genuinely productive, we must take control of our attention; we must build mental models that put…” — Charles Duhigg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Duhigg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To become genuinely productive, we must...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-take-control-of-our-attention/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/to-become-genuinely-productive-we-must-take-control-of-our-attention/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```