How to train your attention (the hard way)

On Monday I listened to an eye-opening interview with “Deep Work” author, Cal Newport on the Asian Efficiency Podcast.  A fan of Cal’s based on his relatively radical stances on focus and work flow, I teach his work in my talks on productivity.  Warning: nothing he suggests is easy, but based on trials with myself and my clients, I’m thoroughly convinced his ultra-strict methods WORK. In the world of fast, skimmable 3-step advice, Cal’s advice sounds radical (at first).  In this podcast, he makes a compelling case for:

- Being bored

- Being “bad” about email

- Quitting social media

He also introduces us to an enemy of focus that says it all: “attention residue.” 

Come to think of it, I should give this at least a 2nd or 3rd listen. Bless Cal for flying in the face of baby steps and devil’s advocates.  He is the bad boy of the productivity world and you need to "meet" him.  Listen openly and let it sink in.  Learn what he means by “context switches are the devil when it comes to attention."  If you’re at your wits end about how to focus more and work smarter, spend the next 45 minutes listening to this crash course in true productivity.

Listen to Asian Efficiency’s interview with Cal Newport here.