Restore Focus – Grab Your Own Gear in a World Designed to Distract You

As a Retired Chief of Police and US Army Veteran, I've seen firsthand how losing focus can cost lives—whether on a long patrol, or in high-stakes ops. Back then, I'd grab a soldier by their kit (gear) and shake them back into the moment. Today, the battlefield is digital: constant notifications, endless scrolls, and algorithms engineered to hijack our attention.

We're living in the attention economy, where companies make trillions by capturing our focus. Global digital advertising revenue alone hit hundreds of billions in recent years, fueling platforms that thrive on keeping us engaged longer. Trillions of dollars flow through this system annually, with major tech giants valued in the trillions partly because they excel at "hacking" our attention.

The stats are eye-opening:

• The average person spends about 2 hours and 21 minutes (141 minutes) per day on social media worldwide in 2025—time that could be reclaimed for family, fitness, purpose, or rest.

• Our average human attention span has shrunk to around 8.25 seconds—shorter than a goldfish's—thanks to digital distractions.

• After an interruption (like a notification), it takes an average of 25 minutes to refocus fully.

• Digital multitasking and distractions can reduce productivity by up to 40%, with workers losing hours annually to constant context-switching.

For veterans, this hits especially hard. Many of us already battle challenges like PTSD, which can involve attention difficulties, hypervigilance, or fragmented focus from past trauma. Studies show PTSD often co-occurs with issues like depression or substance use, and untreated symptoms make it tougher to maintain sustained attention in daily life. The same discipline that kept us sharp in uniform—paying attention when it matters—can help us now. Just doing your time isn't enough; you need full attention.

This week's assignment from the video: Grab your own gear. Notice when something (or someone) is trying to pull your focus away from what's truly important. Pause, realign, and restore focus. Whether it's silencing notifications during family time, setting boundaries on scrolling, or practicing mindfulness like a quick patrol check-in with yourself.

Your focus needs more focus—straight from the wisdom of a sensei (and a bit of humor). Reclaim it. You've earned that discipline.