“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention."

                                                                                                - Herbert Simon

Focused attention.  It is no secret that we live in an age where massive amounts of information are literally at our fingertips.  What used to take hours or even days or weeks to obtain, can now be found simply by tapping into the browser of our smartphones or laptop computers.  However, with this comes another challenge.  With so much information available to us, and importantly, coming at us, it can be extremely difficult for us to focus our attention.  This not only impacts our well-being and productivity; it can also have a dramatic impact on our relationships.

During almost any keynote speech I deliver, I bring someone on stage with me, and after adorning them in a martial arts uniform top and white belt, I begin to take them through some basic punching and defensive movements.  As we begin, I can see in the...