Attention Deficit

"You become what you give your attention to." -Epictetus

the thinker

We like to think we’re good at multitasking.

Checking email while working.

Scrolling social media between sets at the gym.

Answering messages in the middle of a conversation.

What if we got it wrong?

What if multitasking is really just another way of saying, doing multiple things poorly.

A lack of attention, or giving attention to everything at once is corrosive.

The quality of our work declines.

The richness if our relationships erodes.

The meaning we derive from our days becomes shallow.

The antidote to this multitasking obsession?

Mono-tasking.

Do one thing until it is done.

Not until you’re bored. Not until you get a notification.

Until it’s finished.

If you’re lifting, lift. If you’re running, run.

When you eat, experience and enjoy your meal.

Finish conversations fully.

When someone speaks, be there.

Stop scrolling between sets.

No mental multitasking.

No half-listening.

Silence notifications on your phone. Maybe permanently.

Better yet, just leave your phone at home.

Mono-tasking, and life, isn’t about getting more done.

It's about doing fewer things more fully.

Attention is a decision, not a reaction.

Your life is the sum of what you paid attention to.

What are you giving your attention to?