by Mandy Green, Busy Coach
If you find yourself getting distracted more than you’d like — jumping between recruiting calls, admin work, texts, practice planning, emails — keep reading.
Here’s something most coaches never hear (but need to know):
Once you understand this one concept, you can take back control of your focus and get more done in 2-4 hours than most coaches do in two days.
It’s something neuroscientists call…
Dopamine Hijacking.
Dopamine is the brain chemical that fires when we anticipate a reward — new info, stimulation, novelty.
Every time you:
- Check your phone during film breakdown
- Jump into your inbox for the 10th time today
- Scroll Twitter during your “planning” time
…your brain gets a little hit of dopamine. It feels good — and your brain wants more.
That’s why we say we’ll just “check one thing real quick” and end up spiraling into distraction for 30 minutes.
And here’s the hard truth:
Most of the deep work required to lead a program — culture-building, strategic recruiting, real delegation, clear communication — doesn’t give that instant dopamine hit.
That’s the problem.
Distractions feel better in the moment than real work does.
And this isn’t just a bad habit — it’s engineered.
Big tech wants your brain.
Your time and attention = their profit. So their entire business model is designed to steal your focus and keep you coming back.
It’s working:
- A study from Microsoft found that our attention spans have dropped 34% since 2000
- The average person wastes 5 hours a day on digital distractions
- The typical professional gets interrupted every 6–8 minutes
Now imagine what that does to a head coach trying to lead a team, recruit, manage staff, deal with compliance, and plan practices.
You’re not lazy. You’re under attack — and no one warned you.
But here’s the good news:
Focus is a skill.
And just like any other skill in your coaching toolbox, it can be trained.
If you actually want to get ahead while everyone else stays stuck in distraction, here’s where to start:
- Turn off notifications during your power hours (and yes, even text alerts)
- Use app blockers to limit social or email time (try AppBlock or Freedom)
- Leave your phone in your desk or bag during focused sessions
- Don’t check your phone for the first 60 minutes of your day (no dopamine spike first thing)
- Set a 45–90 minute timer, choose one task, and don’t stop until it’s done
Here’s the truth:
In today’s world, where 95% of people are checking their phones every few minutes…
Focus is a superpower.
Especially in coaching.
Because when you can shut out the noise and focus — even for a couple hours a day — you gain time, clarity, and edge.
That’s how the best coaches stay ahead.
They’re not better. They’re just better at focusing.