Limited Attention
Not Everything Needs Our Attention.
We try different stuff and things. Most of the time we change our course, we deviate from the path we decide for ourselves. As we move and try to do many things, we get attracted to many things these days. In one moment we are studying, then in the other moment we are playing an instrument. Well, I don't say that all of these are not productive — they are productive, but to what extent?
We are constantly changing tasks and, according to research, switching cost is real. I get it — multitasking is fine when both tasks are not complex. For example, driving while listening to a podcast, or talking on the phone while checking an email. But this shifts as we move towards complex work. Complex work requires more focus and concentration, and as we shift between tasks we see a drastic decrease in focus. So, the important parameter is not how much we do — it's more like how well we can do a single task.
Actually, what happens when we purely focus on a single task is that there is generally a step graph of learning anything new. Suppose it is like learning a language — in the initial phase you have to learn the whole alphabet and every new word, but as you progress it takes more and more time. However, the output becomes exponential. But that is not true at the starting point. As we shift and do multiple things, we are never able to experience the fun as well as the difficulties, and we are not able to visualize what is actually happening. Before that point arrives, we quit and start a different task, and then from the bottom we start the task all over again.
So, before starting anything, take more time to plan — what is it that you actually want to perform? This will help you not waste time on tasks that feel important at a particular moment but actually are not.
"Take time to plan a task, and once it is decided, just do it."
Not Everything Needs Our Attention.
We try different stuff and things. Most of the time we change our course, we deviate from the path we decide for ourselves. As we move and try to do many things, we get attracted to many things these days. In one moment we are studying, then in the other moment we are playing an instrument. Well, I don't say that all of these are not productive — they are productive, but to what extent?
We are constantly changing tasks and, according to research, switching cost is real. I get it — multitasking is fine when both tasks are not complex. For example, driving while listening to a podcast, or talking on the phone while checking an email. But this shifts as we move towards complex work. Complex work requires more focus and concentration, and as we shift between tasks we see a drastic decrease in focus. So, the important parameter is not how much we do — it's more like how well we can do a single task.
Actually, what happens when we purely focus on a single task is that there is generally a step graph of learning anything new. Suppose it is like learning a language — in the initial phase you have to learn the whole alphabet and every new word, but as you progress it takes more and more time. However, the output becomes exponential. But that is not true at the starting point. As we shift and do multiple things, we are never able to experience the fun as well as the difficulties, and we are not able to visualize what is actually happening. Before that point arrives, we quit and start a different task, and then from the bottom we start the task all over again.
So, before starting anything, take more time to plan — what is it that you actually want to perform? This will help you not waste time on tasks that feel important at a particular moment but actually are not.
"Take time to plan a task, and once it is decided, just do it."
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