Dealing with Distraction

Dealing with Distraction

 

Focus and distraction sit at opposite ends of the scale in terms of productivity. However, as life increases pace our attention span decreases. With the continued increase of gadgets, devices, emails and phone calls is it any surprise our capacity to focus is becoming increasingly limited? Now, I remember a lecturer at university advising me when making a presentation; make sure you break it up because the maximum attention span a fellow student has is twenty minutes. I remember thinking ‘only twenty minutes?’ until I researched the average attention span in 2015 and look at this:

 

·         In 2000 the average attention span in humans was 12 seconds

·         In 2015 the average attention span in humans is 8.25 seconds

·         In 2030 will the average attention span for humans be 4 seconds?

·         In 2000 the average attention span of a gold fish 9 seconds

·         In 2015 The average attention span of a goldfish 9 seconds

·         In 2030 the predicted average attention span of a goldfish 9 seconds

Does anyone feel a little concerned?

 

I thought I would then research a few statistics regarding attention span taken from the Statistic Brain Research Institute:

 

·         25% of teenagers measured forgot major details of close friends and relatives

·         7% of people measured had forgotten their own birthdays (some on more than one occasion)

·         30 times per hour is the average amount of times an office worker checks their mail

·         150 times per day is the average amount of times that mobile users check their phones

·         60% of disruptions come from email and phone calls

So with all this to distract us then how do we focus?

 

·         The first thing to do is become aware of our distraction habits. What is it that distracts us and how regularly does it happen?

·         On the other side of distraction ask yourself when do you focus?

·         What makes it easy for you to focus?

 

 

In Zen, concentrated focus is known as ‘flow’.

 

·         What is the easiest way for you to achieve your optimum state of flow?

·         What is your optimum time for flowing?

·         When you have worked out what works for you then do you notice a pattern?

·         With flow in mind, can you break your work down into regular periods of flow?

 

The five best pieces of focus and anti-distraction advice:

·         Make a list and be deliberate in all that you do

·         Make self-imposed deadlines. Set your self a realistic time limit to complete a task and do it in that time. Bear in mind Parkinson’s Law where work expands to fill the time available for its completion

·         Don’t always be available and find ways of being unavailable until you achieve what you need to do

·         Reward yourself with a break once you have completed a task
 

·         Apply the two minute rule: If you have available time and can do something in two minutes then get it done and out of the way as soon as it arrives

 

To explore your creative side - try this on audible:)
 

AUDIBLE LINK FOR A SHORT COURSE IN CREATIVE WRITING: http://amzn.com/B01390THLK

 

21/08/15

 

"An Unexpected Gem"

***I was provided a copy of this audio book for the purpose of a review ***

With the required disclaimer out of the way, let me be brutally honest, I had not expected this little gem. In fact, I had expected my listening would be a bit rough and was fortified by it being less than 2 hours.

The synopsis says the author wrote the book as a takeaway from her evening classes on creative writing. My mental context was ... Community Ed evening classes ...and expected a well intended but kind of amateur product. However, I am interested in adult education, and batter my own nerd head against a giant personal creativity brick wall.

So you have an idea of my mind set... low expectations along with high interest.

Amateur hour it was NOT.

I don't know where the author teaches her class, but Sign Me Up! And bring the narrator. Wow. Two hours of unadulterated, straight up, right on, good learning material delivered by a close friend just sharing the material. The narrator's voice was warm, sincere without any artifact or pompous patronising, and well modulated throughout. The material was mind opening for me, with the right mix of the mechanics of writing exercises, sufficient context that using prompts now makes sense to me, and a sprinkling of the inner heart work of creativity through written material.

This was just what I didn't dare hope for in a how to creative writing listen.

Truly an unexpected gem and a learning and growing experience for me.

A keeper and one I will return to many times as I deconstruct my own wall, one block at a time.

Thank You, Ruby and Thank You, Erin.

 

TO BUY MONEY FARM ON AMAZON.com http://amzn.com/B010F04W9O

· Frode

06/08/15

5 STAR

So Money Farm by Ruby Allure was a surprise! When I REALLY did not read things about this book I review for Audiobook Blast, I sometimes get books I don't know something about. BTW: I read 99% about the books I want to review, but this book I can't remember I did that for. Anyways: This was a nice surprise, and I think it is one of those books that is better the second time you read it. No joke! I listen to this twice before I made this! Money Farm makes you thin, and who does not like to hear a book that makes you think? It is an awesome book, that I will recommend to all that likes audiobooks, and really to people that does not!

Helen Lloyd English accent its the topic like a glow and a hand! Her "lady like" voice is so cold, and clear I feel that the author made this book thinking that Helen Lloyd would read it out loud! That is how I feel those two fits together! The 2 times 14 hrs and 6 mins I spend with her never feels boring or uninteresting! I would love to spend it again, and I will because this book I will hear again, and again, even when it is 14 hrs and 6 mins long! That is saying something!

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com

MONEY FARM

· "Incredibly thought provoking..."

What did you like most about Money Farm?

It was an eye opener.

 

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way it made you think about the way normal everyday life is here and now, and the future...

 

Have you listened to any of Helen Lloyd’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Helen Lloyd narrated this fairly long audiobook brilliantly. Although the story content was very intense and thought provoking, her lovely smooth voice was very easy to listen to and I thought it was just perfect, a fascinating book wonderfully narrated.

 

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes it was, although it is too long to do so.