Finding Your Flow: Uncovering Where Focus is Hiding From You

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With peeling an onion, you realize how many layers there are until you reach its core. Just like an onion, when you consider the crises of our diminishing collective ability to hold attention, there are many layers to understand it. The concept of “stolen focus” goes far beyond an individual’s personal relationship with technology. It has been accelerated by the ecosystem of our world.

Johann Hari, an accomplished author, explores this topic deeply in his book “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – How to Think Deeply Again.”  As Johann chronicles his pursuit of a digital detox and discusses what the first month is like, there are two core concepts that stand out to me as potential explanations as to why we can’t hold our attention anymore and what we can do to improve our focus.

Why Your Word Means Everything

A universal truth proven by social scientists is that whenever someone wants to overcome a destructive habit, one of the most effective methods is pre-commitment. According to Johann Hari, this is when “the you that exists in the present right now wants to pursue your deeper goals and wants to be a better person. But you know you’re fallible and likely to crack in the face of temptation. So, you bind the future version of you. You narrow your choices.” Pre-commitment manifests in several areas of my life, but one that comes most to mind is my connections, like my bond with my brother. When I make a promise to my brother or confirm I’ll do something with him, I mindfully create space in my calendar and organize my other social activities, career commitments, and personal chores using a calendar and planning system to pre-commit to him. Doing this with him and several of my other friends has greatly improved my relationships.

Listen to Understand, Not to Reply

It’s easier than you think to fall into the trap of conversing and connecting with people in a way that’s only self-serving. One of the most common ways this shows up is through narcissism, a corruption of attention where it’s turned in only on yourself and your ego. When I think about how listening with intention shows up for me in my life, especially at work, a few of these tips from Harvard Business Review are ideas I practice to do my best at becoming a better listener.

1. Give 100% of your attention.
2. Do not interrupt.
3. Do not judge or evaluate.
4. Do not impose your solutions.
5. Ask more (good questions)
   
   

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As I start to consider how I can strengthen my ability to focus, I have several ideas about simple lifestyle changes I can make, like setting app limits to reduce my screen time, minimizing distractions, and piloting learning methods like the Pomodoro technique to try to improve my focus and memory. I’m looking forward to learning more about what’s causing these diminishing returns and what other areas of life are most impacted.

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