I’ve never been good at staying focused, and have wondered if there is some low-grade ADHD embedded in my bones. However, more and more folks are noticing that technology these days pushes us into more-interruptible lives. The most recent description came via Steven Levy about continuous partial attention. I think it really reflects the state of things right now…
The question is, how do we solve it? I’ve wanted, for a long time, a technological fix - a filter that stands between me and the world, knows what I’m doing, and is aware of what is worthy of interrupting me with. Hasn’t happened yet, though a lot of people are working on it.
My answer always has been mundane, because I can’t handle anything more complex. Don’t look. Ringers off. Close the laptop, turn the TV off. I don’t even play music because that distracts me. One activity at a time, when I need to. It’s hard, and I’m still working on it - and my wife will tell me I’ve got a long way to go…
