We want to…
Understand the source of vague feelings of overwhelm and or confusion.
Learn about simplification and clarity.
Create a system and learn to deal with distractions quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever noticed how, when going through your day, the thought pops in;\u00a0 The Illusion of Delusion<\/strong> Our brain is working through 11 billion bits of information per second without us being aware of it. These include our bodily functions like digestion, balance, muscles, hand eye coordination, bla bla yada. It is also taking in sights, sounds and smells we don’t even notice. We also have hundreds, if not thousands, of things<\/strong> in our possession, and when we see them we remember that we want to do something with them. ‘Gotta sell that… Need to throw that away… Have to take that to Goodwill…’<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What creeps in over time is a strange mixture of overwhelm, anxiety and an inability to focus. Generally speaking, we just ignore it all and live with it. But\u2026 Let’s try to not<\/strong> make this about writers or creativity. Instead, generally speaking you need to decide what matters for you. Maybe you just want to get rid of that feeling mentioned above; ‘So much to do and nothing gets done…’<\/em> Maybe you would love to spend more time doing nothing, but the distractions go against your peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, it’s about simplicity and clarity; Know what matters to you now and get it done AND<\/em> get the distractions saved, forgotten, to be sorted out later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What matters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Distraction is not a lack of focus, but a lack of clarity about what matters.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A universal wisdom not attributed to a single person.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Learning simplicity and clarity a little bit at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve read ‘Getting Things Done<\/em> by David Allen you may recall the idea of saving those things that pop into your head somewhere “safe”.<\/strong> If you love analog, A notebook or Index cards (small) work almost as well. Ideally, you have a magnet board for cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sam Webster Harris, in his exceptional Podcast Growth Mindset Psychology,<\/strong> speaks of Intentional Laptopping.<\/em> What Intentional Laptopping<\/em> is? (my paraphrase)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also take a close look at your phone. Like Intentional Laptopping consider why you pick up your phone and then learn not to be distracted. These are a few simple ways to move toward simplicity. Bigger ways include Decluttering (a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind), Blocking a calendar (I will tackle this thing on this day from 9:00 – 12:00) and commitment to focus on a goal. (by the end of the year I will have learned simple living and clarity)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for reading \/ listening.
‘Oh yeah, I need to repair \u2026’ -or- ‘I need to call \u2026’<\/em>\u00a0? But you don’t.
Then, a day or two later, those same thoughts come up again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Concept: In Zen and Daoist psychology, the “ten thousand things” do not just refer to sights, sounds, smells and tactile information we hardly even notice.
They also refer to the memories, plans, and anxieties that flood our consciousness every second we are awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our awareness has been clocked at around 50 bits of information per second. These include for example the sights we actually see, the sounds we actually hear, and so on. These are the things that can turn into thoughts\u00a0and distractions<\/strong>. If you’re reading this your machine may be bleeping, dinging and doing other things to get your attention. Our phones go ding, dong and bleep. We have messages, emails and all sorts of digital distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a human condition for the majority of people. We often feel overwhelmed, distracted, confused and anxious and aren’t exactly sure why.
Understanding the last few paragraphs is a good start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a better way.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Matters For You?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What Now?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Our phones are always close to us, so it’s perfect to capture our thoughts and distractions if setup right.
I use Google Tasks for simplicity and a list called \ud83d\udcec. That’s an inbox. With a widget on the home screen it’s simple to capture these things and sort them once a day. Sorting them out is important, otherwise you’ll just have a long list of ideas, tasks and distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Further down you’ll find a link to the podcast which I highly recommend.)
This is something I’m learning to do now after decades of doing exactly the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
This is a simple idea to focus on one thing at a time, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn.
There are many bottomless rabbit holes to get lost in, notice when you are no longer focused on your task.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Clean and redesign your home screen and widgets with the goal of simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me know what you think.
~A.J~<\/p>\n\n\n\n