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Saps your energy—The cognitive costs are just one of the many assets you'll spend by multitasking. There are biological and emotional costs, as well. You're expending exorbitant energy, exhausting the oxygenated glucose in your brain.34 You're running down the fuel needed to focus.
Can be dangerous—The more you multitask, the more it becomes second nature. Read this. It becomes almost like breathing. You don't think about its dangers, which is why so many people use their phones while driving. Or if you're one of the more responsible folks, you wait until stoplights to check your phone. You're driving or riding or moving under the influence. Even walking is dangerous. One study in New York City found that 20% of teenagers struck in crosswalks were on their devices. Ironically, they're often hit by smartphone zombie drivers.35 Just Google the number of accidents caused by zombie smartphone use. Go to YouTube and watch videos. Watch how quickly you get disgusted.
May damage your brain—Researchers from the University of Sussex used MRI scans to compare the brains of multitaskers and normal people.36 They discovered that multitaskers had less brain density in gray matter, specifically the anterior cingulate cortex.37 I had to look that up. It's the area of the brain responsible for empathy and also cognitive and emotional control. Over- or underreact much? In all seriousness, while IQ is critical to success, EQ (emotional intelligence) is also important. For example, TalentSmart tested more than one million employees and found that 90% of top performers have high EQ scores. Multitasking is shown to lower IQ and if we read the MRI scans correctly, the same can be true for EQ.
We Are Culpable in Our Addiction
The gut-punching truth is that distraction has become one of our values. We actually welcome and enjoy it. The ability to manage distraction has even emerged as a new competency, according to New Yorker editor Joshua Rothman, and it's one that we, perhaps subconsciously, feel proud of.38
Distractions are largely welcome because they can temporarily save us from contending with the challenge of a difficult task . . . loneliness, fear, self-doubt, self-loathing, and insecurity.
What is the basis of our willingness to be distracted? Often, the allure of distractions is a by-product of our desire to avoid contending with problems in our lives, which we may not even have yet recognized.
Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and source of so many quotes we've read and shared in our lives, astutely observed, “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”39 The irony is that we convince ourselves that such alone time would force us to focus on problems we're facing, which would cause us more pain.
Some experts believe that distractions are largely welcome because they can temporarily save us from contending with the challenge of a difficult task, or personal matters such as loneliness, fear, anxiety, self-doubt, self-loathing, and insecurity.40 There's also the very real problem that many of us do not enjoy the work we're doing.
Distractions are an escape.
Brandon Crawford, coauthor of The World Beyond Your Head: Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction, has another explanation for the appeal.41 He believes that at the heart of this succumbing to distraction is autonomy run amok. “We've taken things too far; we're now addicted to liberation,” he asserts. In his view, anything we have to do in any situation is a kind of prison. So, giving in to distraction becomes a way of asserting control. We give ourselves an escape to exert our autonomy, generating a false, short-lived sense of freedom.
It's not easy to see that we're doing this. I certainly didn't understand what was happening to me—how addicted I'd become to distraction. Without that knowledge, I couldn't learn how to heal. I couldn't rediscover my creativity and intentionally regain happiness if I didn't believe or feel they were lost in the first place.
It's easier to offer advice than it is to digest it, and it's easier to absorb it than it is to act on it and bring change to our lives. To admit problems in the way we're living causes discomfort, even pain, which automatically activates our defenses to save us from those difficulties. In a cruel twist of logic, our efforts to save ourselves often lead us into denial. All of our technological distractions have made that easier for us because they are designed to seem so useful and nurturing. What could be wrong with sharing our photos with friends? News alerts might inform us of something we really need to know. What if there's an accident on our normal route to work? Certainly, we should leave our phones on at all times if we've got kids in school. What if we're not there to get a text that a child is sick? And on and on and on.
When I bit the bullet and admitted I had a problem, I could begin to unravel what lay beneath all of my obsessive multitasking and unacknowledged tech addictions, and I began to see how my work, and my relationships, were suffering. That was when I devoted myself to learning how to heal.
Awareness is awakening.
Your own distraction probably snuck up on you, too, and perhaps you believe that you're getting by just fine. Maybe you're still keeping up with your work and nurturing your relationships pretty well. My advice is don't let the problem fester until you run into a crisis like I did. Think of it this way:
Let's say you have a car that has been showing annoying signs of issues over the last year. Sometimes the car suddenly stops running for no apparent reason when you pull up to a light, or before you've finished pulling into a parking space. “That's weird,” you think, but a quick key turn or button push and the car starts right back up. So, you keep driving it. You're too busy to take it in for repair. You always have some place to be and this is really just a nuisance; it's a lower priority than everything else on your packed agenda.
But now, let's say that the car starts stalling almost every time you come to a stop.
Let's also say that you're on your way to the most important event of your life. The car just keeps shutting down, at every light, every stop sign. You're overwhelmed with helplessness. You have to get to this event! You could kick yourself for not getting the car fixed.
We have to prioritize taking care of our bodies and minds; otherwise they're at some point going to fail us, and we can't know what marvelous life experiences we'll start missing out on.
We Can Take Our Attention Back
Every day when you wake up without a new, intentional mindset and resolve to change your trajectory toward a more positive vision and more productive behavior, you are, by default, beginning your day just as you did yesterday and the day before that. You are caught in a legacy trap, a routine of current behaviors and beliefs that govern your day and life ahead. You can never truly move forward without a conscious effort. You can only optimize the paradigm you're in now. Each day we further hardwire that cyclical programming. We can either become aware of our behaviors and how they're affecting us, or we can continue with the status quo.
Yes, our ability to think deeply and create are victims of the manipulations of digital capitalism. But you are now mindful of how your mind is being attacked and manipulated. You stand at a crossroads. What you do from this moment on is your choice. You can transform your FOMO from fear of missing out to finally over missing out. Awareness is where the journey toward a healthier, mindful, and fantastically creative life begins.
You were not put on this planet to validate your existence through the false validation of strangers. You are more important, able, and beautiful beyond any number of likes, comments, or followers can attest. You can find a new path by living your life as if no one is watching.
Notes
1https://www.fastcompany.com/40491939/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-sleep-is-our-competition
2https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/vv5jkb/the-secret-ways-social-media-is-built-for-addiction
3https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/persuasive-design
4https://www.1843magazine.com/features/the-scientists-who-make-apps-addictive
5https://screentimenetwork.org/apa?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=5026ccf8-74e2-4f10-bc0e-d83dc030c894
&n
bsp; 6https://www.vox.com/2018/8/8/17664580/persuasive-technology-psychology
7https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/10/09/are-casinos-too-much-of-a-gamble/slot-machines-are-designed-to-addict
8https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/smartphone-addiction-slot-machine-your-pocket
9http://www.tristanharris.com/essays/
10https://www.amazon.com/Wired-Child-Reclaiming-Childhood-Digital/dp/150321169X
11https://www.vox.com/2018/8/8/17664580/persuasive-technology-psychology
12https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/bill-gates-and-steve-jobs-raised-their-kids-techfree-and-it-shouldve-been-a-red-flag-a8017136.html
13https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/08/meet-the-tech-company-that-wants-to-make-you-even-more-addicted-to-your-phone/
14https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11/16761016/former-facebook-exec-ripping-apart-society
15https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/9/16627724/sean-parker-facebook-childrens-brains-feedback-loop
16https://thenextweb.com/apple/2018/01/20/apple-ceo-becomes-latest-tech-bigwig-to-warn-of-social-medias-dangers/
17https://twitter.com/martyswant/status/960683198463250434
18https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/07/multitasking-is-exhausting-your-brain-say-neuroscientists
19http://www.businessinsider.com/teen-suicides-outnumber-homicides-smartphones-2017-8
20http://www.businessinsider.com/teen-suicides-outnumber-homicides-smartphones-2017-8
21https://www.ted.com/talks/manoush_zomorodi_how_boredom_can_lead_to_your_most_brilliant_ideas
22https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/science-behind-multitasking-slowly-erodes-productivity/
23https://hbr.org/2015/06/conquering-digital-distraction
24https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/25/skim-reading-new-normal-maryanne-wolf?CMP=share_btn_fb
25http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/is-technology-producing-a-decline-79127
26https://bebrainfit.com/cognitive-costs-multitasking/
27http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/04/9676/ucsf-study-multitasking-reveals-switching-glitch-aging-brain
28https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26223469
29https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/multitasking-takes-toll-on-memory-study-finds/
30https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/
31http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811916300441
32https://www.fastcompany.com/3057192/these-are-the-long-term-effects-of-multitasking
33https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201501/how-cellphone-use-can-disconnect-your-relationship
34https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/07/multitasking-is-exhausting-your-brain-say-neuroscientists
35http://news.health.com/2012/10/02/many-pedestrians-hit-by-cars-are-distracted-by-mobile-devices/
36http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-09/uos-bsr092314.php08/multitasking-damages-your-brain-and-career-new-studies-suggest/
37https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201606/10-real-risks-multitasking-mind-and-body
38https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-new-theory-of-distraction
39https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/19682-all-of-humanity-s-problems-stem-from-man-s-inability-to-sit
40https://www.fastcompany.com/40442595/the-real-reason-why-youre-easily-distracted-has-nothing-to-do-with-technology
41https://www.amazon.com/World-Beyond-Your-Head-Distraction/dp/0374535914
Chapter 3
Refocus
Reclaim Your Attention: Simple First Steps
“Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love—is the sum of what you focus on”
– Winifred Gallagher
Now that we've realized we have a major problem, the next step in lifescaling is to learn how to concentrate again by establishing positive and productive daily routines.
Georgetown professor Cal Newport observed, “High-quality work produced is a function of two things—the amount of time you spend on the work and the intensity of your focus during this time.”1 Increasing your focus will ignite your creativity and help you get more done in less time, while also amplifying the quality of work.
There is no shortage of resources available to help you focus as you launch into your creative ventures. Trust me; I looked everywhere, talked to everyone, and read all that I could. Would-be resource centers are overflowing with platitudes that offer shallow tips, as well as attention-grabbing listicles of generic recommendations masquerading as life-changing prescriptions. My search was exhausting, and I found trying to sort through the glut of advice enormously frustrating. So, here I'll provide a few simple solutions for breaking the bad habits of disruption that I've found hugely helpful.
“High-quality work produced is a function of two things—the amount of time you spend on the work and the intensity of your focus during this time.”
But first, let me address a harmful myth about focus that's gained widespread currency.
Did you know that you have the attention span of a goldfish? Actually, a goldfish holds a one second advantage over you, according to a research report. Apparently, you (and I) can only concentrate for eight whole consecutive seconds, whereas a goldfish can focus for a whopping nine seconds.2 And what's especially frightening is how rapidly our attention span has been eroding. When it was measured in 2008, it was twelve seconds. So, we've lost four seconds in five years! What will we be down to in another five?
Do not believe this.
When I dug into the basis of this claim, I discovered that the so-called study that generated this meme is a prime example of what I call short attention span theater.
Details about the research process were scarce at best. Here's what we do know. The report was sponsored by the advertising office of Microsoft Canada. The authors are not named, and the source of the eight second figure is a website called Statistic Brain, which offers zero sources of its own about the information it provides. Dig deeper, and not only does something smell fishy; the whole thing is bait. I couldn't actually find any real research that pinpoints the exact attention span of goldfish.
Think about it. When you binge-watch your favorite show, are you only able to watch it in eight-second bursts? How absurd! Similarly, I'll bet a goldfish could focus on eating for longer than nine seconds if it had to.
We haven't lost our ability to focus at all. We just need to reclaim it. We can unlearn disruptive behaviors, learn new skills, and build new routines that help us chart the new course of lifescaling.
Let me propose an alternative outlook. We haven't lost our ability to focus at all. We just need to reclaim it. We can unlearn disruptive behaviors, learn new skills, and build new routines that help us chart the new course of lifescaling.
Practicing a set of simple techniques will free up our energy and intention to help us take the next steps on the journey. We're not trying to make one big dive into sustained concentration, like going cold turkey. We'll get to building up our deep focus later. For now, it's best to take incremental and relatively painless steps. I call this attention hacking.3
Remember the story of the car that breaks down? Attention hacks are like quick fixes to get your car going. Like aid from a helpful fellow motorist who sees you in distress and pulls up and says, “Hey, I can fix that.” You pop the hood and this kind person adjusts a few things that help your car idle at a higher RPM. Now, you can make it to your event! Is your car really fixed? No. But, you will get to the event. And, following the event, you can take your car into the shop to fix the core problem that was causing the breakdowns in the first place.
Attention hacks provide immediate relief that frees up our minds to begin the more substantial work of actually curing our distraction. They're small fixes to get you moving forward.
These are all hacks I've experimented with while researching and writing this book. They don't demand radical behavior
al shifts and can produce incredible results. There is no single hack sufficient to reclaim your powers of focus, but in combination these techniques can get you solidly on a path to repair. Before long, you'll be moving forward at an accelerated pace, and I'll bet you'll even start coming up with some of your own hacks. You will relish the relief hacks bring.
Attention hacks provide immediate relief that frees up our minds to begin the more substantial work of actually curing our distraction.
Procrastinate Procrastination
For the first year of trying to write my proposal for what I hoped would be my next book (but that thankfully led to this book), I built up so much anxiety before each scheduled work session that I would do anything else besides write. Clean the house. Organize the garage. Hell, I'd even take out the garbage.
Procrastination is a subconscious attempt to avoid unpleasant emotions stirred up by the task we're meant to be doing. Whether it's fear, worry, anxiety, shame, anger, panic, or even FOMO, avoidance behaviors give us a momentary reprieve. The irony is, though, that procrastination ultimately intensifies the very negative emotions we're trying to evade, because it leads to actual urgency to complete a task.
Procrastination is a subconscious attempt to avoid unpleasant emotions stirred up by the task we're meant to be doing.
After deep self-reflection as a result of embracing the idea and need for this book, I realized that the negative emotions I was trying to circumvent were shame and self-doubt. Somewhere along the way, I lost the joy of creation. I was creating perfunctorily and tackling creative projects transactionally. I was cranking out work as fast as I could and moving right on to the next project. In the process, I wasn't dancing with imagination. I wasn't inspired. Creation had become a chore. Happiness wasn't even a memory. I had forgotten about the relationship between achievement and ecstasy. I didn't celebrate my moments, and this led to drudgery.