- In any given moment, we are always focusing on something.
- No wi-fi at the diner.
- “Constant connectivity is one of the worst disruptions to our focus and productivity.”
Chapter 1: Switching Off Autopilot Mode
- As many as 40% of our actions are habits. They don’t require conscious thought or heavy deliberation.
- Research shows the eyes scan the page more slowly when the mind is wandering – e.g. the mind and eyes are “tightly coupled.”
- Each day, all four quadrants (task types) compete for our attention. The more we’re on autopilot, the more time we’ll spend in the wrong quadrants.
Chapter 2: The Limits of Your Attention
- The brain receives 11 million “bits” of info every second, according to Timothy Wilson, psych prof at the University of Virginia
- It’s harder to find lots of examples that involve more discrete bits
- Attentional space and working memory are like a computer’s RAM.
- Intention: “Intention enables us to prioritize so we don’t overload our attentional space.”
- Letting your attentional space overflow negatively affects your memory.
- Bailey: “Technology speeds up time by tempting us in each moment to fill our attention to the brim.”
Chapter 3: The Power of Hyperfocus
Hyperfocus
- Chris gives several different definitions of the term “hyperfocus” in this book
- Originally this term comes from ADHD literature and research. People with ADHD do not lack the ability to focus – in fact, many times they are able to focus more intensely than others. They lack control over when to focus.
- First meaning – Hyperfocus is intense focus paired with deliberate attention.
- Which is, itself, set through intention.
- Deliberate, undistracted, and quick to refocus
- This leads you to be completely immersed in your work
- The most important aspect is “…that only one productive or meaningful task consumes your attentional space.”
Chapter 4: Taming Distractions
Why do we love distractions?
- At the moment, a distraction is more enticing than the current task we’re supposed to be working on.
- When the brain is resisting a task – even slightly – it begins actively hunting for some other thing to pay attention to.
- Novelty bias compounds this – you get a dopamine hit when focusing on something new.
- Social media and other things provide small hits of validation throughout the day.
