Getting more out of doing less
How to feel full when being forced to focus
Getting more out of doing less
Knowledge is a process, not a possession
Anne-Laure Le Cunff • Why I have an antilibrary (the power of unread books)
On building an anti-library and the power of unread books
The Load Theory of Attention posits that because attention is a limited resource, filling all the additional “slots” in your mind may leave no room for other distractions. This is why some people work better when having a bit of background noise or listening to music while in focused mode. Experiment with adding deliberate distractors so your curio... See more
Anne-Laure Le Cunff • Intentional Curiosity: Get Your Brain to Focus on What Matters
“You’ll probably surprise yourself with what you can accomplish—if you’re focused on one thing.
You’ll probably frustrate yourself with what you fail to accomplish—if you’re doing 5 or 7 or 10 things.
Nobody performs well when stretched in a half dozen directions.”
You’ll probably frustrate yourself with what you fail to accomplish—if you’re doing 5 or 7 or 10 things.
Nobody performs well when stretched in a half dozen directions.”
3-2-1: When to be patient, why we procrastinate, and the importance of early attempts
What is 'lit' focus
I call it "lit" for two reasons. First, "lit" aptly describes how the flash of inspiration feels—as if a bright light flipped on in the dark. Or a spark has set your thinking ablaze. When you've had an epiphany, been awestruck, or simply been super excited, you've felt that spark. Second, "lit" is how these moments appear to the... See more
I call it "lit" for two reasons. First, "lit" aptly describes how the flash of inspiration feels—as if a bright light flipped on in the dark. Or a spark has set your thinking ablaze. When you've had an epiphany, been awestruck, or simply been super excited, you've felt that spark. Second, "lit" is how these moments appear to the... See more
A Harvard Medical School professor with ADHD shares how he retrained his brain for deep work and reached peak productivity
The planning fallacy describes our natural bias when forecasting our own productivity: we focus on the best-case scenario, or something dangerously close to it. Rarely does that scenario play out.
David Epstein • Why You Should Plan To Get Less Done
From David Epstein — “Now I put one single thing atop the day’s list that, if accomplished, will mean the workday was a clear step in the right direction. Perhaps I’ll put a bonus thing or two lower down, but I want to leave room for mental meandering and rabbit holes, as well as for the occasional water in the basement. I’ve found that, rather than acting like a check-list, the to-do list has basically become a beacon — a reminder of the thing I should be focusing on. (And on the off chance that I somehow find myself ahead, I don’t seem to have trouble coming up with other things to do.) When it was a list with a dozen items, I had a tendency to start with the easy ones so that I could check something off, not the important one or two.”
curiosity can be a double-edged sword. With so many ideas competing for your attention, it can be hard to decide which one to pursue. You might experience choice paralysis, unable to commit to a single project because you don’t want to miss out on the others. As a result, you may find yourself starting many projects but only finishing a few.
This is... See more
This is... See more
nesslabs.com • The Curiosity Conflict: The Struggle to Shift From Exploration to Exploitation
Where we invest our time also has a Return on Energy (ROE).
Return on Energy
Embrace the joy of missing out. Your curiosity can make you more acutely aware of the potential benefits you’re foregoing by committing to one project over others. This heightened sensitivity to missed opportunities can fuel indecision and make it harder to focus on a single idea. But having many interests is a strength, not a weakness. Remind your... See more