Focus on Five: Philosophy & Science

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You can do anything, but not everything.

Life pulls you in all directions. Family needs your attention, work makes constant demands, and friends take your time. But your time, attention, and energy are finite. Meanwhile, your own meaningful goals and things that you know you must get done keep getting pushed to the next day.

Focus on Five gives you a simple weekly practice to cut through the noise. Each week, you pause to identify five meaningful priorities—five things that deserve your focused attention. These aren't overwhelming goals that feel impossible to start, and they aren't tiny tasks that fill your day without meaning. They're right-sized priorities that move you forward on what matters. These five become your compass for the week, helping you stay aligned with what truly matters while everything else competes for your time.

When you're not sure where to start or what deserves a place in your five priorities, Dexter AI is there to help. Our built-in coach guides you through a conversation to clarify what matters most right now and helps you define priorities that fit your current situation.

The science behind it

Focus on Five isn't just a nice idea—it's grounded in real psychology and cognitive science:

Cognitive clarity means that when you choose five clear priorities, your brain stops spinning and you're no longer constantly re-deciding what matters—you can actually focus.¹

Commitment psychology shows that when you write something down and commit to it—especially a small, manageable number of things—you're far more likely to follow through.²

Reflection science tells us that pausing to look back doesn't just feel good—it actually improves performance and wellbeing. It strengthens your ability to choose rather than just react.³

Simplicity is its own superpower. Less to juggle means more actually gets done, and your mind works better with clear, focused intent than with overwhelming complexity. The goal isn't about doing more—it's about focusing better on what matters to you.

Why five?

Why not three? Why not ten? Research on working memory shows we can hold about 4 to 7 things in our minds at once.⁴ Beyond that threshold, our attention splinters and we lose the thread of what matters.

This number hits the sweet spot—it's enough to make real progress across different areas of your life (your health, your work, your relationships, your personal growth) without leaving you feeling scattered and overwhelmed.

Five is also meaningful because we've got five fingers, we think in weekdays, and it's a number our minds naturally organize around.

And here's the beautiful part: five forces you to make tradeoffs. You can't do everything, but you can move five things forward this week—and that makes all the difference.

How it works

Each week, you'll choose your five priorities. These are the things that matter most to you right now—the things you want to make progress on this week. The app keeps them front and center so you stay connected to what matters. You can add them yourself, or chat with Dexter AI if you need help figuring out what belongs on your list.

Then you check in regularly—whether that's every morning, a few times during the week, or whenever feels right for you. The key is to reflect: What's done? What still matters? What needs to shift?

You're not locked into anything—life changes, priorities evolve, and that's completely okay. But the rhythm stays consistent: choose your five, stay focused on them, review your progress, and reset for the next week.

Over time, this simple weekly rhythm creates real momentum. Small weekly wins stack up into big transformation.

This is what five looks like.

You've made your choices. You know what matters this week. All the noise and clutter falls away, and there they are—your five priorities, clear and focused.

As the week unfolds, some things get done while others carry forward to next week, and that's perfectly fine. This isn't about perfection or being a productivity machine—it's about returning to focus over and over again, showing up for yourself each week with intention even when life gets loud.

And here's what we've learned: over time, these small moments of clarity—these weekly check-ins with yourself—they create something bigger. They help you stay connected to what truly matters to you. They help you become more you.

Want help choosing your five?

Anytime you feel stuck or overwhelmed, just ask Dexter AI. Tap "Consult with Coach" and he'll help you clarify what matters most right now, based on where you are and what you're working on.

You've got this. Let's make this week count.

Aldo

GET FOCUS ON FIVE FREE

Focus on Five app

References

¹ Pignatiello, G. A., Martin, R. J., & Hickman, R. L. (2020). Decision fatigue: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318763510

² Matthews, G. (2015). The impact of commitment, accountability, and written goals on goal achievement. Dominican University of California Faculty Conference Presentations. https://scholar.dominican.edu/psychology-faculty-conference-presentations/3/

³ Cavilla, D. (2017). The effects of student reflection on academic performance and motivation. SAGE Open, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017733790

⁴ Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81-97. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043158