Why can't I focus?

Overview
Being able to focus and do deep, meaningful work is essential for engineering leaders who need to drive complex projects and mentor teams. In this article the author reflects on personal struggles with focus and outlines common reasons that hinder sustained concentration.

Key Takeaways

• Multitasking and distractions fragment attention and reduce productivity.
• Lack of clear goals or priorities makes it easy to drift between tasks.
• Mental fatigue and burnout diminish the ability to concentrate for long periods.
• Environmental interruptions (notifications, noise) constantly pull focus away.
• Unaddressed stress or anxiety can occupy mental bandwidth.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers looking to improve their own focus and set better examples.
• Technical leads who need to allocate deep work time for complex problem solving.
• Senior developers aiming to increase personal productivity.
• Anyone in a leadership role seeking strategies for sustained concentration.