Working Notes on Personal Programmable Attention
A nice 4-minute read on evolving how I spend my time, if you ask me!
An open problem I see discussed in the world of tools for thought is programmable attention. How can we make ourselves focus on the right things at the right times?
Last night, I made a small list of things I wanted to do differently today. Yesterday was Day 2 of temp retirement, and I was much more lethargic than I imagined I would be. I didn't accomplish much. I spent a lot of time on my phone. I didn't love it.
The best products always start as a tool for self. So, how do I program my own attention?
A list is a good start. This came about through my own reflection last night. What did I not like about the day? Sensibly, this is how I design—start by removing the [[misfits]].
But distraction abounds. As I sat at the computer today—something I set out to do more of today {{[[DONE]]}}—I continued my floating from upstairs. I watched videos. I recorded a video. That was odd, but cool. None of this was necessarily planned, and I could see the entire day going like this. I did not want that.
The pomodoro is a technique many people use to improve productivity. I've had positive experiences with the pomo but have not dove into this technique entirely. So, let's try that here.
The concept of [[showtime]] is another. Malcolm Ocean has talked about this as a technique to get himself to publish. Perhaps we can use this here, too.
Rewards are a big part of this. I often talk about living the [[good boy lifestyle]], where I reward myself once I accomplish something. This is some form of classical conditioning, and it works well when I commit to it.
But, I'm also prone to ignoring these things—not holding myself accountable. Typically it's when I feel there's either:
too much to do and I can't choose a single thing, or
I have not thought through the problem.
This suggests the paradox of choice is a misfit to programmable attention. We can not have a purely open canvas if we're trying to accomplish something, for we'll find a way to wander.
Yet, an open canvas in the right situation is our key to divergence.
I suppose this is the classic divergence-convergence of the double diamond. When things must get done—which they must for you to earn a living—the work has to focus on convergent activities. So ignore divergent thought in this situation.
I set out today to write about a topic over a focused period, so this is it. I'm writing about how to program my own attention. I'm writing about what works for me in hopes that I can optimize how I will spend my time in this self-employed retirement period.
And, as a designer, I am trying to design. In this case, I am designing a system for myself. How can I get the most out of myself, while not pushing myself to not enjoy my time? I don't want to become a robot. That does not sound fun.
The notes above provide a good start. If we look at the [[misfits]], we know we have to:
hone the list to work on one thing at a time,
work on things that I have broken down to achievable chunks,
hold myself to a level of personal discipline, and
reward myself when I complete what I set out to do.
This will set up a repeatable loop where I tick things off that I've identified as important and reward myself for doing so.
Yet, there's still a missing part. What if I'm focusing on things that are merely important to me, but won't advance my current state? In other words, how can I ensure I'm actually focusing my attention on the right things? I first saw the concept of vanity metrics from Eric Ries in The Lean Startup, and this is precisely what we are to avoid.
I need to then consider what personal metrics will help me achieve my goals. And, to take a step back from there, I need to articulate what it is I want. The universe will always answer a specific ask. It's just that most of our asks are too general to give us what we hoped to receive.
So, we must take this one step further. I had already identified the:
task - write on a single topic
timeline - for one pomo, and
reward - a treat when I finish
...but I had not ensured this is important beyond me. Let's change that.
A key to my future is finding my people. I can't find my people without sharing. I received a welcome reminder of that while reading Michael Ashcroft this morning. Thus, I will take the time to share this with the world.
Oddly, I noted to myself yesterday that lasting work has more polish than a simple, just-completed 'Here it is!' I remarked that I wanted to commit extra time—again, in the form of a pomo—to ensure my work is at a higher level. I don't make the time to do that often enough.
So, this will go through one more pomo before we publish. One total hour of time, solely committed to my future.
Then I can celebrate. Call it an evolution of the [[good boy lifestyle]]. We must focus the time on important work. Then we must spend additional time to package and polish the work.
Sharing something is better than sharing nothing, so treat it like [[showtime]]. Today, you showed up at noon for a show. Well done.
With so much we can focus on, we have to shine a spotlight on the work that will reward our future.
Show notes:
- This is not new. This is practice, though. Better yet, this work is expandable. It lives as an atomic thought I can build atop in the future. It can be poked at in many different angles.
- I am doing this, as a whole, because I left a comfortable job for the freedom of my own time and space. Thus, I have to do something with it.
- I heard a song yesterday that I'm quite familiar with, yet never took the time to notice the title. After commenting to Donna how much I enjoyed it - 'What a jam. This would be a part of my movie.' - the title hit me for the first time, 'Become What You Are' (Spotify).
Now this is a 10-minute winding jam-banger, so you may not dig it, but the essence—to me—encapsulated my journey. Theme song stuff from Merchandise.
Become what you are.