Last night, I watched Why we can’t focus and heard Jared Henderson explain the impact of society’s shortening capacity to focus. We have collectively colluded to shift our Way of Being to something less powerful. Ironically, I was unknowingly searching for that last dopamine hit before going to bed when Jared’s video popped up on the screen.
Twice during the video I found my attention wandering. I can easily push that onto tiredness (it was nearing 11pm) but maybe it wasn’t. Is my ability to focus shorter than I realised? (Have I even ever considered it?)
I know I am capable of long periods of focus. I read for extended periods of time and yesterday afternoon I spent several hours automating the connection of watch states between Plex and Jellyfin media servers.1
On reflection, even “in focus” my behaviour is constant mini-departure from the task at hand. I allow myself to get dragged away without thinking of it. In the interest of providing relevant information and links, I went sideways into a footnote. A written example of Do you over -aside? which itself is a symptom of lack of focus.
My phone remains on the bedside table charger. I reached for it in my pocket 6 times before finishing breakfast.
Truth be told, I’m a little scared for what this means. Although at the same time imbued with a sense of Wonder and Optimism. With knowledge comes power to change and I have a new Distinction to work with.
In July I moved to a 4-day week. Part of my plan was to spend time on the activities that make my heart sing. I have progressed; my writing continues to improve and I have built tools that assist.2 Despite this I have never been able to delve deeply into the detail of what the future beyond better prose and techniques looks like. It has remained elusive. The mental feeling I have is like water sliding around a rock. As I approach my thoughts move sideways and I can’t grab hold. Maybe it isn’t the rock pushing the water of thought aside but something pulling it away from the rock instead.
Footnotes
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Went with JellyPlex-Watched as watchstate was only updating fully watched status and not partial watched times. ↩
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Falling multiple times into The optimisation-procrastination trap . ↩