In the Googled, blogged, 140-character, always-available lifestyle of a modern-day solo entrepreneur, do you find yourself constantly attracted by the "tinsel" of something new? Are you an idea grasshopper, living an interruption-driven work life?

If so, you're not alone. Recent studies show that most workers switch tasks every 3 minutes throughout the day. The result is a diffusion of focus, and a decrease in our ability to reflect, connect, or relax.

The long-term implications of such habits are profound, says author Maggie Jackson, whose acclaimed book Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age debuted in a paperback edition yesterday. "Attention is the building block of intimacy, wisdom, and cultural progress," she says. By squandering it, she warns, we risk slipping into cultural decline.

I recently spoke to Maggie Jackson to ask her advice for soloists who operate in a mobile, multi-tasking, cyber-centric world. She offered three valuable insights:

1. Take back your environment.
Jackson makes the distinction between multi-tasking and "hopscotching," in which you slice your life too thinly. "If you lose the ability to prioritize, or engage with the messy problems that warrant your attention, then hopscotching is not beneficial," she observes. "Think of it as an environmental issue. Set the stage for focus." A simplified working area supports attention, she advises. Before embarking on her daily writing tasks, for example, Jackson moves any scribbled Post-It slips from her field of vision and sticks them on the back of her laptop — which means they remain accessible, but not distracting.

2. Strengthen your powers of attention.
Attention, like traditional muscles, can be developed through training. "Humans are born as interruption-driven beings," says Jackson. "We have a need for new stimuli." But if we’re always jumping for that new message, thought, or email ping, sometimes we need to take one thought or conversation and go more deeply. One of the best times is at the start and end of each day. "Take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to plan ahead," Jackson says. "Don’t just open the laptop and react. Use your executive attention skills of planning and judgment to map out the day, and stick to it."

3. Rethink your values.
In an era when millions of individuals have their attention on a BlackBerry or iPhone while engaged in other actions, it's time to rethink whether multi-tasking is truly a paradigm for success. "We currently value scattered attention," observes Jackson. "We see that as efficient, and in reality, it’s not. It's time to rethink these assumptions." Reflect on what types of attention you value, and if it supports the way you wish to lead your life.

The most important starting point, Jackson says, is to give the gift of attention to others. By being a role model, we can change into a culture of attention and focus. "It's not just about getting the work done. It's about creating a stepping stone to deep connectivity," she says. "What could be better for business relationships, as well as your heart and soul? Attention is a gift. We all get a lot more out of life when we’re fully engaged."

Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your thoughts. For more on Maggie's work, visit her Web site, at maggie-jackson.com.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com