Distracted work

Distracted work I’ve posted quite a lot recently about different types of work: deep, shallow, interruptable, experimental, and intentional. A lot of the productivity/efficiency advice I read emphasises the importance of optimising the environment for focussed work. However, I am realising that distractions and interruptions are sometimes an unavoidable truth. While it is good to minimise them and their resulting impact, I think there is value in recognising that often conditions are not ideal. There is value in being able to still perform when everything is not perfect. Cal Newport frequently emphasises the need to hone the ability to concentrate. It is a rare skill to be able to read a book in a quiet room, with a comfortable chair and lighting that is just right. The current default is to have a non-stop stream of phone notifications at the ready, and the temptation to check in on that world pulls the attention from the book. The easiest way to practice focussed reading is to turn the phone off, to increase the friction required to check what is happening elsewhere. However, even with the phone off - or in another room - the mind wanders readily. It is retraining this default behaviour that begins the deep work journey, as the ability to concentrate is foundational. What I have not seen talked about is accepting that sometimes the conditions are not as conducive to focussed reading (or other deep activities). Sometimes, the chair is lumpy or a hard, there is construction going on outside (with alternating jack-hammers and tradie conversations), and the phone cannot be turned off because you need to be on call. What to do then? I think it is a separate - and still valuable - skill to be able to work through the distractions. If the distractions are external and cannot be removed or turned off, then accept that reality and focus as best as possible. It is not as easy, and uses up more mental resources, but I think it is better than doing nothing until the distractions are over. The act of intentionally trying to focus, and still making that the default activity, achieves two things: 1) some of the work still gets done - even if slightly slower or not quite as well; 2) the act of still trying under adverse conditions makes it even easier to perform when conditions are ideal. I’ve seen a similar idea discussed by Joshua Waitzkin about competitive martial arts,¹ and by runners about training. Athletes, particularly at the highest levels, inevitably have injuries. They have to push through the distraction, and still show up to do the training that they can. A marathon is not a sprint, it is a paced run where the important thing is to keep going. Showing up and doing the work is hard. It is harder when the environment is distracting, or you’re tired, injured, hungry, underslept, or whatever else is non-ideal.

Accept when the conditions cannot be made ideal, still give focussed work a go.