How do others manage these expectations?
Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
121–130 of 226 posts
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#122General question: I have survived this by working solo for most of my career. Recently though, I'm faced with a barrage of emails and the expectation that they are read or answered within 20 min (!) of receipt. I much prefer answering emails within a few time slots each day. How do others manage these expectations?
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#123General question: I have survived this by working solo for most of my career. Recently though, I'm faced with a barrage of emails and the expectation that they are read or answered within 20 min (!) of receipt. I much prefer answering emails within a few time slots each day. How do others manage these expectations?
Edit: added clarity
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#124I agree. I'd like to make a related claim: We spend little time on deep moral critical thinking. Herd thinking and going with the flow is so much easier and so much sweeter.
The latter is sweeter because of the positive social feedback loop -- you're far more popular. Whereas independent critical thought often goes against the grain and threatens the comfort of your herd.
For example, while I support many of the "cancellations" that are happening, too many of both proponents and opponents don't dare say anything not in line with their chosen herd. There is no possibility of nuanced thought, or that it's not black and white.
Too many of us forget that the mainstream morality of every era is the moral backward of the next. We wrote "All men are created equal" 245 years ago, and we're 155 years post Civil War, yet race, gender and birth class still dominate an individuals place and outcome. Going with the flow (and knee-jerk attack any counter flows) is nothing less than contributing to this societal inertia.
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#125I'm constantly amazed at how the mainstream population uses phones. Most people tend to have phone with alarming-notifications, so they get informed that they have a message, or email or whatever. The phone interrupts them and directs their attention. They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. I'd go crazy trying to live like that. I have no audible notifications, and vibration only for actual calls. Eve…
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#126Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
I also read Cal Newport and am pursuing the ability to perform deep work. In the meantime, I notice that the marginal return of deep work in a big enough company is questionable, especially for high-level ICs. A high-level IC spends most of the time in discussion and meetings, and people expect such person to make quick decisions or to assert influence within a single meeting. Therefore, the most influential ICs are…
What does IC mean here?
https://blog.mitchjlee.com/2020/your-writing-style-is-costly
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#128> Cal Newport said it best in his book Deep Work: the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted. T…
Haha, I feel so called out. I have been up for 2 days straight at this point, and it has been incredibly productive.
Sometimes I wish I could summon my ability to do deep work during the day, but it is just so hard with all the meetings and ideations (I love them too, but can't stay up 24x7). My body can't take this kind of late-night abuse anymore, so I feel like I am running on borrowed time.
Hopefully I will learn to do focus work in the day at some point. Has anyone here successfully made that transition ?
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#129Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#130> Cal Newport said it best in his book Deep Work: the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted. T…
> The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted Haha, I feel so called out. I have been up for 2 days straight at this point, and it has been incredibly productive. Sometimes I wish I could summon my ability to do deep work during the day, but it is just so hard with all the meetings and ideations (I love them too, but can't stay up 24x7). My body can…