060 • Protect your attention and focus at all costs
060 • Protect your attention and focus at all costs
Welcome back to Fundamentalised,
The idea I have for you this week is not one that I talk about much but it is one that I think is extremely important.
We're going to go into methods for curating the content you consume on the internet.
You see if you don’t keep track of who can put content in front of your face then you'll become a target for attention algorithms, designed to keep you on the app they serve for as long as possible.
Here are some of the different methods I use to stay sane while spending time online…
Curating your follow list - this is the number one way of keeping tabs on what information you’re exposed to. Make sure that the people you follow are aligned with the same goals and ideas as you are.
Go through who you’re following right now and cull their content if it's not what you want to consume. Be ruthless - you have less attention to spare than you think you do.
Using tools to block infinite feeds - you can try your hardest to follow only accounts that are aligned with the content you want to see, but almost all social media platforms put an unlimited feed of algorithm-generated content in front of you when you open their app.
I use tools like Cold Turkey Blocker to make sure I'm completely banned from some apps but you can also get tools that make sure you’re focused even when you’re on the site. Unhook hides features of the YouTube home page and Minimal Twitter clears up the Twitter interface.
Both of these tools can be configured so you see only the content from your subscriptions and followings. Very useful.
Don’t consume there and then - I have playlists that I save videos to watch later, and I use bookmarks and aggregation tools to save the written content I want to read.
Readwise Reader is a great tool for the latter - you can save anything from Twitter posts and threads to articles, newsletters and even YouTube videos for later consumption.
The benefit of this is that you’re making a more intentional decision about whether you’re going to consume the content, rather than letting it be forced down your throat.
Then, when you’re feeling calm and ready to take away information from the work you’re genuinely interested in, you can consume it.
I want to talk also about why doing this is so important…
Whenever you log into your computer you’re almost instantly bombarded with information. It's almost impossible to avoid.
And the things that pull at your attention aren’t always useful and attention is a finite resource. Spend all your time focusing on the content that doesn’t serve you in any way, you won’t have any attention left to execute the important tasks.
This way, it’s hard to make progress because you’re only working at a proportion of your capacity with the focus you have left.
Another point - you should attempt to align the content you consume with your goals and positive direction in life. Everything that enters affects the texture of your thoughts one way or another so it would be wise to ensure that this works in your favour.
Also, stay aware that your beliefs aren’t confirmed truth. It’s okay to consume a certain type of content that informs and motivates you and
reinforces your beliefs about the world but stay open-minded and kind towards people who might disagree.
That brings us to the end of this issue. Pay special attention to this one - content consumption plays a larger part in our lives than we might realise.
Take a look at how much pointless content you consume in a day to be reminded that we'll have to swim against the tide when it comes to building deep focus. However, it doesn’t mean we won't try.
Have a good week,
— Theo
