Sports Mode: Activate Flow State On Demand

Unlock the high-performance mode designed for the age of AI

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This article is part of my Focus Modes series, designed to rewire your brain for sustainable high-impact focus.

You might have heard of the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. 

For a while, it was a cornerstone of productivity. 

It states that 20% of your efforts produced 80% of your results. This is supported by the fact that the average worker does 90 minutes of deep work daily. That’s less than 20% of an 8 hour work day.

But the 80/20 rule is about to be retired.

The work world has changed. AI and automation excel at the 80% — the routine, the repetitive, the tasks that can be systematised into checklists and SOPs. 

What's left for us humans? The 20% — the strategic thinking, the creative problem-solving, the deep work that moves the needle. The future belongs to those who can focus on the stuff machines can’t.

"Automation will not replace jobs, but it will replace tasks. The key is to focus on the tasks that require uniquely human skills." - Paul Daugherty

The problem? Most of us have forgotten how to do deep work. We've been conditioned to crave distractions. We measure our worth in to-do lists and email responses.

But in the age of AI, deep work is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity.

Forget cute little Pomodoro timers or another cup of coffee. This is about tapping into the same mental state that lets LeBron sink game-winning shots or Simone Biles defy gravity.

This is Sports Mode.

Let’s dive in:

Why Deep Work Matters Now More Than Ever

AI is not the villain here. It's a powerful ally, capable of freeing us from mundane tasks and unlocking new levels of productivity.

I am a huge fan of AI and use it daily. I co-founded Scale with AI to help people create prompts with purpose. So I speak from direct experience.

But to harness AI’s power, we need to reclaim our ability to focus deeply. We need to connect the dots. To tap into the creative parts of our mind that set us apart from the machines. 

AI is a sharper chisel. But if you can’t focus like a master sculptor, it’s not going to create a masterpiece. You can't do big things if you're distracted by small things.

"The key to winning in the future is not to compete against machines, but to compete with machines." — Erik Brynjolfsson

Deep work is the key to unlocking your potential.