My lovely wife Franceska Banga is CEO of the NZ Venture Investment Fund.

The chairman of her board is Sir John Anderson, former CEO of the National Bank for the best part of 30 years, and one of the most highly regarded business leaders in the country.

Try this for a CV:

• Chairman of New Zealand Cricket since 1995
• New Zealand’s representative on the International Cricket Council Executive Board
• In 2005 he was the inaugural winner of the Blake Medal for demonstrated leadership
• NBR's New Zealander of the Year in 1995

Currently he is:

• Chairman of the Capital and Coast District Health Board
• Commissioner of the Hawkes Bay District Health Board
• Chairman of TVNZ
• Director at Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Chairman of PGG Wrightson since 2010
• Chairman of National Property Trust
• Chairman Wellington Regional Strategy Committee

That's quite a lot for someone who's retired. In his office he has his papers in neat stacks for each role. Franceska asked him how he manages all these commitments, and his reply was simple: "I do one thing at a time - and only one thing". When he is on NZVIF business, he is not on any other business. Whatever he's doing has his full concentration, and he does not allow himself to be distracted. In other words, he dedicates his full and considerable skills only to the job at hand. He is totally present and engaged in the moment, and he does not allow his mind to wander.

It sounds obvious, but as we know, that's a lot harder than it sounds. A couple of members forwarded me an article on "the 20 minute" approach (find it here). For the time-starved, it basically says that to get something done, do it in 20 minute bursts. Set a timer, and at the end of the 20 minutes, decide whether you want to do another 20 minutes.

There's a slight catch: in that 20 minutes, you do only the task - no phone calls, "quick catch-ups", email checking, water breaks or any of the well-rehearsed self-distractions. To paraphrase Sir John, "Do one thing for 20 minutes - and only one thing".

It's a powerful approach, not least because it reminds us of why we don't get things done - we're perfectly capable, it's just that we don't stick at it. A friend once gave me a very nice coaster: it just says "Tries hard but is easily distracted".