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The 12 Rules of Attention: How to Avoid Screw-Ups, Free Up Headspace, Do More and Be More At Work

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Do you feel like you're "crushing it?" How productive, happy and fulfilled do you feel each day at your job? You might ask what attention has to do with it. The answer may help clear up and fix a wide range of ongoing workplace concerns including workplace error. Simply put, attention is connected to every single thing you think, feel and do at work and elsewhere. It's almost impossible to imagine, but by the end of this book you'll not only understand how this is so, but you will be tapping into your attentional system and regulating it to your highest advantage. The 12-Rules of Attention will help you train your attention to sharp, accurate, high definition...and keep it there. You'll

256 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 2020

18 people are currently reading
66 people want to read

About the author

Joseph Cardillo

20 books16 followers
Joseph Cardillo, Ph.D., is a top-selling author in the fields of health, mind-body-spirit, and psychology. An expert in Attention Training™, creative thinking, and body energy, Dr. Cardillo has taught his methods to more than 20,000 students at various colleges, universities, and institutes. He a regular contributor Psychology Today and is the author of Be Like Water, the body-energy classic. He holds a doctorate in holistic psychology and in mind-body medicine and is a research associate at Mind-Body Medical University.

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5 stars
3 (13%)
4 stars
6 (27%)
3 stars
7 (31%)
2 stars
2 (9%)
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4 (18%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
44 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2020
The 12 Rules of Attention by Joseph Cardillo is an interesting read with the purpose to help the reader self-regulate and direct their attention to what is most important. As mentioned, there are 12 rules that are outlined in the chapters with a variety of exercises to implement each rule. The first rule "Tell it you want to pay attention to how you pay attention" was a particularly helpful chapter for me which provided a self-scan exercise with valuable reflection questions. A lot of the exercises involve self-reflection and visualization so if you think visualization is woo-woo then this will likely not be the book for you. Visualization is typically difficult for me but I found the questions and scenarios helpful when trying the exercises. The author also provided interesting anecdotes as examples for the rules which was helpful. However, the author often used superfluous language which detracted from his writing at times. I think simplifying the language for the rules would be valuable to ensure the rules are clear and memorable for the reader. Overall a quick read for anyone interested in the topic of attention!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Profile Image for K Saju.
652 reviews4 followers
November 22, 2020
Either you regulate your minds attention or it regulates you, based on this interesting premise I went through the wonderfully crafted book "The 12 rules of attention" by Joseph Cardillo. The book is primarily targeted towards how we have let our attention be run by our mind and the steps/rules that we can follow to improve ourself alongwith an overall improvement in our personal and work life. The rules have been explained very well alongwith the real life scenarios on how we were going wrong with it and how we can make it change it to make it work to our benefit. This is not a quick and easy solution but am sure that by following even a couple of the rules we can see the improvement in our daily grind.
Would definitely recommend this book for the serious readers out there.
Profile Image for Bekk Kennedy-Escott.
11 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2020
An interesting read with the intention of helping the reader to find ways to improve their attention, which in turn will help them to feel happier in the workplace. An enjoyable read, I rushed through some of the anecdotes and feel this was a little distracting, however I enjoyed the some of the activities. I don't however believe it will make a ground breaking impact into my work life, but some may find it to be just what they need to inspire them in the way it hopes to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Alicia Robben.
104 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2020
This book is a great reminder about paying attention, especially at work. The focus on the book is how to approve attention to be more happy and fulfilled at work. I enjoyed the activities in the book, but ended up skimming by the end. For me, this book had too many stories and needed more focus on the psychological aspect of attention.
Profile Image for Darya.
759 reviews21 followers
June 5, 2020
This book proves guide on how to become more attentive and productive. Attention is very important and it plays a big role in our work life especially. The author provides 12 rules of how to be more attentive and suggests to practice them until they gain a natural part of your behaviour. Yet simplicity once you start you need some time to master the skills.
1,831 reviews21 followers
June 18, 2020
There's some very good info here. Some readers may be overwhelmed by the number of exercises, but some can be skipped. Implementing the ideas will take some time but likely worth it. This may be best for younger readers, although everyone can benefit from the rules.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
Profile Image for Linda Griffin.
Author 2 books1 follower
September 28, 2020
The book explains the connection between how we think and out ability to achieve preferred outcomes. Changing our thought patterns can change our behaviours. Combine s theory with practical exercises. The strategies are applicable not just in the workplace but in daily life and personal relationships.
Profile Image for Mahmoud Shwehneh.
13 reviews
March 25, 2021
Attention is a great a skill to have,
To navigate through life and work, for what you do and how you do it.
I consume the book through a 1.5 hour summary by the author,
The book focus on knowing you brain , what trigger it And how it respond.
Some ideas on how to increase you attention like
Visualization, mindfulness, some physical things and noticing what surrounds you.
Profile Image for kirsty barrowman.
13 reviews
September 25, 2023
I read this book to help me focus on my day to day. After reading it, it was a mind blowing read for me. The exercises bring together lots of different prospectives of our brains attention stealers (even hormones). The carefully crafted practises after each chapter have changed my way of being forever.... I am more present than ever and take in whats happening and truly see. Life changing for me!
Profile Image for Andrea Johnston.
213 reviews9 followers
July 28, 2020
A wonderfully written, accessible book for anyone looking to improve their attention. It has tons of anecdotes, lots of hands-on activities, and a wonderful casual-but-still-professional tone to keep the reader engaged.
Profile Image for Bineydeep Singh.
67 reviews13 followers
Read
December 18, 2020
Please don’t waste your time picking up this book, I give it zero stars so you know what’s on the cards!
Profile Image for Kelly.
243 reviews4 followers
October 28, 2022
Enjoyed learning about attention, lots of tips and techniques to try to grow your attention. Informative
Profile Image for W Saad.
73 reviews
March 19, 2023
Without any doubt, helped me sleep after 2 minutes of sleeping..
irrelevant content & boring comparisons.. stopped at page 110..
Profile Image for Christine.
133 reviews
September 4, 2023
Did not finish. I just could not get into the flow of this book.

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Fan Chaoch'i.
14 reviews
November 4, 2025
People must realize attention is finite, and any method requires attention to manage attention won’t work
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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