Yesterday, I had a big block of time all to myself. With that amazing abundance came an unexpected side effect, I felt out of control. I spent way more time spinning my wheels than I would have liked: I was distractible, out of kilter, off my game. I finally latched on to one task (a rather big one that had been stalled) and completed it (and you can hear the result here). Whew! The experience left me thinking about what it means to be “in control.”

Focus is the ability to manage your attention in a way that’s appropriate to what you’re doing. When you’re driving, for example, your focus is broad–the road ahead, what’s coming up behind, the cars around you, your speed, road conditions, and all the rest occupy a full sort of attention that shifts from one place to another in a flowing sort of way that allows you to be fully present (that is, as long as your not trying to talk on your cell–or god forbid, texting–while driving). The other sort of focus is very tight, narrow, and one-pointed. This is the attention required when you’re working on one task to the exclusion of other stimuli.

Organization is a measure of knowing where things are. “Things” is a deliberately loose term that covers everything from computer files to car keys, the time of your next appointment to your mom’s birthday, what your boss expects from you to what you’re waiting on from your direct reports. Being well organized means you know what the status of your projects is, or you can easily find out, without dithering around too much.

Being in control means mastering both focus and organization. There are times when you need the firm control that allows you to be a happy worker bee: cranking widgets, churning through what needs to be done, nose to the grindstone. When you’re ready for that, make sure you know exactly where everything you’ll need is before you start and practice the narrow sort of focus that doesn’t tolerate interruption.