Independent writer Merlin Mann delivered an important lesson on how to remain productive in a world full of distractions at the Wisconsin Union’s Directorate’s Distinguished Lecture Series on Tuesday.

Mann, writer, creator of 43folders.com, and sought after speaker has had his writing displayed in WIRED and Popular Science. He has also spoken in front of crowds at Apple, Twitter and Google, spreading his message of personal success and productivity.

Every person’s downfall starts at frustration with having too many unmanaged expectations and too many demands, Mann said. From there, frustration cascades into stress, which leads to procrastination.

Mann conveyed his message by introducing a few rules to abide by to be productive and avoid major pitfalls such as procrastination.

How people focus their attention and their time leads to their level of productivity, Mann said.

People must be willing to accept that they have no control over many parts of reality, Mann said. There are just some problems you cannot solve.

“If you become really good at solving the wrong problem, you’re never really fixing anything,” Mann said. “If you’re not managing your attention well, there is a really good chance that you’re wasting your time becoming really good at something that does not matter.”

Mann said determining what is most important is key to choosing the types of problems we can feasibly solve.

Mann added it is mandatory to focus attention on real priorities, things that absolutely cannot wait to be done.

“The only way you can tell a task is high priority is if it is already done,” Mann said.

You shouldn’t feel sad and apologetic about not being able to do ‘stuff,’ Mann said. He said if you would do a ‘really crappy’ job of it, you should say that.

“I am trying to get people to understand that they are the only ones that can lead their life. Waiting for somebody else to come in and magically transform it into something interesting is not the most reliable way of approaching a job or life in general,” said Mann.

Mann said he can speak with some authority about personal productivity because he learned from past experience and from working in project management.

Mann said he recommend everyone work in either project management or food service at least once in their life.

University of Wisconsin senior Vignesh Valona said the presentation gave him a new way of thinking about productivity, but he said he would have enjoyed more information and attention focused on other prime areas of the speech.

“I would have liked to hear a little bit more about how increasing productivity could help with creative work,” said Valona. “Also, I would have liked to have heard more about Mann’s (final) steps.”

UW senior Megan Zuba said Mann gave her a new perspective for her to live her life by.

“He made me really think about what is important in life by taking a step back, looking at the world for what it really is and acting on that,” Zuba said. “Don’t get distracted by things that taint that reality, don’t let things get in the way of your goals.”