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#books #Kindle-Highlights
Title: Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction
Author: Chris Bailey
Last-Read: February 10th, 2021
Amazon-store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LWZC6Q
disconnecting is one of the most powerful ways to spark new and innovative ideas. Location: 136
constant connectivity is one of the worst disruptions to our focus and productivity. Location: 138
Working with my email client open and my smartphone on my desk was simply more appealing than trying to concentrate on one or two simple things. Location: 148
And I began to discover that by focusing deeply on just one important thing at a time—hyperfocusing—we become the most productive version of ourselves. Location: 167
Attention is finite and is the most valuable ingredient you have to live a good life—so make sure everything you consume is worthy of it. As Location: 212
it’s only a matter of time until it begins to waver. Location: 230
Autopilot mode guides us through actions like these. As many as 40 percent of our actions are habits, which shouldn’t require conscious deliberation. Location: 254
The more we can manage our attention with intention, the more focused, productive, and creative we become. Location: 268
Directing your attention toward the most important object of your choosing—and then sustaining that attention—is the most consequential decision we will make throughout the day. We are what we pay attention to. Location: 303
Without selective interest, experience is utter chaos. Location: 338
Timothy Wilson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, estimates that our brain receives eleven million “bits” of information in the form of sensory experiences each second. Location: 348
Simply noticing what is occupying our attentional space has been shown to make us more productive. Location: 438
Remember, we can focus only on forty bits of information, and a single complex task requires most of these bits—and Location: 489
we can do one small, habitual task plus one other activity that requires most of our attention. Location: 502
Intention enables us to prioritize so we don’t overload our attentional space. Location: 528
At any one time, your attentional space should hold at most two key things that you are processing: what you intend to accomplish and what you’re currently doing. Location: 530
The best way to avoid this overload is to be more selective with what you permit into your attentional space. Location: 545
Simplifying our attentional space lets us maintain enough room to work and live intentionally throughout the day. Location: 548
The state of your attentional space determines the state of your life. When your attentional space is overwhelmed, you, in turn, feel overwhelmed. When your attentional space is clear, you also feel clear. The tidier you keep your attentional space, the more clearly you think. Location: 549
Continually seeking novel stimuli makes us feel more productive—after all, we’re doing more in each moment. But again, just because we’re busier doesn’t mean we’re getting more accomplished. Location: 560
Our brain provides a hit of dopamine after sex as a reward for procreating. It does so when we consume sugar, which is energy-dense and enables us to survive longer with less food, which was useful early in our evolution, when conditions weren’t as bountiful as they are today. Location: 566
productivity means accomplishing what we intend to. Location: 575
Productivity is not about cramming more into our days but about doing the right thing in each moment. Location: 579
because it is only when we pay attention to something that our brain actively encodes it into memory. Location: 590
Leroy coined the term “attention residue” to describe the fragments of the previous task that remain in our attentional space after we shift to another activity: Location: 618
Time pressure narrows our focus on the task, restricting us from considering a number of more creative ways to complete it. Location: 629
the best time to take a break is after you’ve finished a big task. Location: 636
set intentions more often, modify your environment to be less distracting, overcome the mental resistance you have to certain tasks, eliminate distractions before they derail you, and clear the distractions inside your own head. Location: 642
Hyperfocus means you’re less busy, because you’re permitting fewer objects into your attentional space. Location: 684
The most important aspect of hyperfocus is that only one productive or meaningful task consumes your attentional space. Location: 692
Save hyperfocus for your most complex tasks—things Location: 708
preventing Location: 715
yourself from focusing on things that aren’t important. Location: 715
autopilot. Location: 717
When you’re engaged only with the thoughts in your head, you’re daydreaming. Location: 718
choose a productive or meaningful object of attention; eliminate as many external and internal distractions as you can; focus on that chosen object of attention; and continually draw your focus back to that one object of attention. Location: 727
intention absolutely has to precede attention. Location: 737
The second step to reaching hyperfocus is eliminating as many internal and external distractions as possible. Location: 737
our mind wanders for 47 percent of the day. Location: 749
takes an average of twenty-two minutes to resume working on a task after we’re distracted or interrupted. Location: 751
keep one important, complex object of attention in your awareness as you work. Location: 755
The best way to become more productive is to choose what you want to accomplish before you begin working. Location: 758
When we don’t choose which quadrants of tasks to spend time on, we fall into autopilot. Location: 764
But whenever possible, you should take an active role in choosing where you spend your time and attention. Location: 768
the best productivity tactics are the ones that require you to step back and remove yourself from your work so you have the mental space to think critically about how you should approach that work differently. Location: 773
Rule of 3: at the start of each day, choose the three things you want to have accomplished by day’s end. Location: 780
By forcing yourself to pick just three main intentions at the start of each day, you accomplish several things. Location: 783
an appointment-free day means you can set intentions to accomplish more important and less urgent tasks. Location: 786
Because three ideas fit comfortably within your attentional space, you can recall and remember your Location: 788
you may also find it handy to set three weekly intentions, as well as three daily personal intentions—such Location: 794
The most important tasks on your list are the ones that lead to the greatest positive consequences. What will be different in the world—or Location: 799
What task is the equivalent of a domino in a line of one hundred that, once it topples over, initiates a chain reaction that lets you accomplish a great deal? Location: 801
Writing a guide for new hires may not, in the moment, feel as valuable as answering a dozen emails, but if that guide cuts down on the time it takes to bring each new employee on board, makes her feel more welcome, and also serves to make her more productive, it is easily the most consequential thing on your list. Location: 808
When your hourly chime rings, ask yourself the following: Location: 827
setting intentions but also making them very specific. While Location: 848
Deciding in advance when you’ll work on a task is significantly more important for a difficult one than when your intention is to do something simple. Location: 885
Whenever you can! Naturally, we need time for the little things, but the more you can hyperfocus, the better. Location: 913
Around the constraints of your work. Most of us don’t have the luxury of hyperfocusing whenever we wish. Location: 920
When you need to work on a complex task. Location: 924
Based on how averse you are to what you intend to accomplish. Location: 927
we switch between computer applications 566 times during the average workday. Location: 970
The costs of an unrelated interruption can be massive: it takes an average of twenty-five minutes to resume working on an activity after we’re interrupted, and before resuming that activity, we work on an average of 2.26 other tasks. Location: 980
When our brain is even slightly resisting a task, it hunts for more attractive things it could do instead. Location: 988
I’m typing these words in one window on my computer screen, Location: 997
If I don’t disable computer distractions ahead of time, I might as well wave good-bye to my productivity. Location: 1,000
Eliminating distractions before you hunker down on a task makes focusing infinitely easier, as important tasks fill your attentional space quite naturally when there is nothing competing with them. Location: 1,011
productive tasks that are either necessary or purposeful, Location: 1,015
Jerry Martin’s Location: 1,363
Something remarkable happens when you externalize tasks and commitments: you work with almost no guilt, worry, or doubt. You experience guilt when you feel tension about your past; worry when you feel tension about your future; and doubt and stress when you feel tension about the present moment. These feelings evaporate when you set intentions and make a rough plan for how you’ll complete your important tasks. You’ll think more clearly too—externalizing what’s on your mind means tasks and commitments won’t pop into your attentional space as you’re working. Location: 1,394
three measures we can use to measure the quality of our attention: Location: 1,416
how much time we spend working with intention; Location: 1,417
how long we’re able to focus on one task; Location: 1,417
how long our mind wanders before we catch it doing so. Location: 1,418
Creating a distraction-free mode Location: 1,419
Working with fewer distractions Location: 1,420
four stages of hyperfocus: choosing an object of attention, eliminating distractions, focusing on a task, and getting back on track. Location: 1,431
Little did I know that this guilt had two sources: a lack of working with intent and my work expanding to fill how much time I had for it. Location: 1,490
doing mindless stuff at work or at home is not only unproductive but also a sign you don’t have enough important work. Location: 1,494
“the most validated technique for minimizing the disruptive effects of mind wandering.” Location: 1,545
forty-five-minute meditation exercise twice a Location: 1,547
Headspace and Insight Timer, Location: 1,554
Mindfulness Location: 1,561
it’s about focusing on the circumstances of the present, rather than becoming immersed in them. Location: 1,561
mindful shower is one in which you focus on the sights, sounds, and sensations of the present, which enables you to train your brain to better focus on what’s in front of you. Location: 1,565
When you keep a single intention in mind, you’re able to live and work more intentionally for the rest of the day too. Location: 1,580
few practices will improve the quality of your attention—and the size of your attentional space—more than meditation and mindfulness. While Location: 1,598
It’s a remarkable thing when you spend not just quality time with someone but quality attention as well. Location: 1,619
At work, the more attention you give to what’s in front of you, the more productive you become. At home, the more attention you devote to what’s in front of you, the more meaningful your life becomes. Location: 1,628
solidify a hyperfocus ritual in your work and life: how to battle your inevitable resistance to the mode. Location: 1,633
ten minutes, you may have felt what I did at first: a mental resistance to focusing on just one thing. This was probably a mixture of restlessness, anxiousness, and succumbing to novel distractions. Location: 1,634
Understanding the four types of productive and unproductive work tasks lets Location: 1,660
Recognizing the limits of our attention enables us to become aware of how few things we’re able to focus on in the moment. Location: 1,661
Hyperfocusing on our most complex, productive tasks lets us activate the most productive mode of our brains and get a large amount accomplished in a short amount of time. Location: 1,662
Setting strong daily intentions Location: 1,663
Creating a personalized distraction-free mode, and a reduced-distractions mode, Location: 1,664
Simplifying our working and living environments Location: 1,665
Clearing our minds using waiting-for, task, and worry lists lets us work with clarity and prevents unresolved mental loops from interrupting our focus throughout the day. Location: 1,666
good custodians of our attentional space—by Location: 1,668
attention is the most important ingredient we have to living a good, productive life. Location: 1,677
scatterfocus Location: 1,683
Let’s dive into this second mental mode now. As you’ll quickly see, hyperfocus and scatterfocus can work hand in hand in some truly remarkable ways. Location: 1,687
Just as hyperfocus is your brain’s most productive mode, scatterfocus is its most creative. Location: 1,706
First, as I’ll discuss in this chapter, it allows you to set intentions and plan for the future. It’s impossible to set future intentions when you’re immersed in the present. By Location: 1,710
Second, scatterfocus lets you recharge. Location: 1,713
Scatterfocus replenishes that supply so you can focus for longer. Location: 1,714
Third, scatterfocus fosters creativity. Location: 1,715
more creativity your job or a project requires, the more you should deliberately deploy scatterfocus. Location: 1,717
attention management. Location: 1,763
provides scientific evidence for what makes scatterfocus so fruitful. Location: 1,765
This is precisely why scattering your attention allows your creativity to flourish as you travel through time and connect what you’ve learned to what you’re doing or what you want to achieve. Location: 1,767
The more time you spend scatterfocusing between tasks—rather than indulging in distractions—the more thoughtful and productive your actions become. Location: 1,798
I’ve found it helpful to distinguish among a few different styles of scatterfocus: Location: 1,818
Capture Mode As I mentioned in chapter 5, clearing your mind of open loops is a powerful productivity tactic. Location: 1,825
probably find capture mode to be the most aversive—at Location: 1,845
Problem-crunching mode is most useful when you’re brainstorming a solution to a specific problem. Location: 1,848
the more often we scatterfocus to replenish our mental energy, the more energy we have for our most important tasks. Location: 2,024
Switching often among tasks and being unable to sustain focus on one thing Location: 2,034
Losing your grip on your intentions and working in a more reactive way Location: 2,035
Getting tasks done at a noticeably slower rate (e.g., reading the same important email several times to comprehend it) Location: 2,035
Opting to do less important, more mindless work—like checking email, social media, etc. Unintentionally slipping into scatterfocus mode Location: 2,036
Research has shown that a refreshing work break should have three characteristics. It should be low-effort and habitual; something you actually want to do; and something that isn’t a chore (unless you genuinely enjoy doing the chore). Location: 2,043
You can use scatterfocus mode to become more creative in two ways: first, by connecting more dots; and second, by collecting more valuable dots—a Location: 2,165
Hyperfocus is about focusing on a single thing. This lets your brain become productive, encode information and experiences so that you remember them later, and engage with the world around you. Location: 2,166
In scatterfocus mode you do the opposite: you zoom out and connect the constellations of “dots” in your head (a “dot” being any piece of information you hold in your mind). Location: 2,168
For example, try stopping work on a complicated report midway through a sentence. Location: 2,288
the more we know about a subject, the less attentional space that information consumes. Location: 2,316
We can work with more expertise and creativity because we’ve already done the due diligence to cluster this information together. Location: 2,324
We are what we pay attention to, and almost nothing influences our productivity and creativity as much as the information we’ve consumed in the past. Location: 2,331
If you’re a software engineer, taking a course to learn a new programming language or reading a book on managing engineers is obviously a productive use of your time, attention, and energy. Location: 2,355
Your brain even releases more dopamine, a pleasure chemical, when you consume information that supports what you know. Location: 2,358
useful dots we consume. This information is actionable, is accurate, helps us reach our goals, and remains relevant for a long time. Location: 2,370
Having an unlimited amount of energy to consume useful information throughout the day would be ideal, but this obviously isn’t possible, even if we frequently replenish our supply of mental energy. Location: 2,376
consume more useful information, especially when we have the energy to process something more dense; consume balanced information when we have less energy; consume entertaining information with intention or when we’re running low on energy and need to recharge; and consume less trashy information. Location: 2,387
It’s impossible to become more productive or creative without first reflecting on your work and life—this Location: 2,395
public speaking. Location: 2,451
There are some topics you know more about, and some things you’re better at, than almost anyone in the world. The more dots you collect around these particular topics or skills, the more of an expert you’ll become. Location: 2,454
Malcolm Gladwell wrote: “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” Location: 2,469
As he put it, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” Location: 2,474
Daniel Levitin, the author of This Is Your Brain on Music, proposed a theory to account for Mozart’s musical genius. “We don’t know how much Mozart practiced,” Levitin writes, “but if he started at age two and worked thirty-two hours a week (quite possible, given his father’s reputation as a stern taskmaster) he would have made his first 10,000 hours by the age of eight.” The “ten-thousand-hour rule” is a popular one—it’s the length of effortful practice, some suggest, that it takes to acquire an expert level of performance at a certain skill. Location: 2,479
let your mind rest and wander—preferably while doing something habitual. Location: 2,487
Hyperfocus consumes mental energy, while scatterfocus is energy restorative. Location: 2,489
When we focus, we consume and collect dots; when we scatter our attention, we connect these dots. Location: 2,521
Hyperfocusing allows us to remember more, which leads to more valuable connections made in scatterfocus mode. Location: 2,521
Practicing hyperfocus and working with fewer distractions helps focus more attention on the present. Location: 2,542
you plan for the future less often and assemble fewer productive ideas. Location: 2,558
The Zeigarnik effect—which keeps unresolved problems front of mind—forces you to think of them more. Location: 2,561
Harvard-trained psychologist Shawn Achor found that happier people are 31 percent more productive than those in a negative or neutral state. Location: 2,565
Happiness also helps you become more creative in scatterfocus mode. Location: 2,566
Creative Prime Time. Location: 2,600
Your attention is the most powerful tool at your disposal to live and work with greater productivity, creativity, and purpose. Location: 2,721