It seems like the only constant in today’s world is constant distraction. More pings, meetings, emails, Slack alerts. Less space, time, clarity, quiet.
More noise. Less flow.
It’s no wonder so many of us struggle to focus on what actually matters. The game seems rigged against us, rewarding unhealthy habits like task switching with quick hits of dopamine. This game has turned the concept of “reactivity” from a weakness (“I have such a short attention span”) into a virtue (“who has time to actually focus and think when there are so many fires to put out?”).
Where has all this reactivity gotten us in the long run? We’ve lost our ability to set our own course, instead allowing day-to-day “urgent but not important” things guide all of our decisions—regardless of whether they’re taking us in a direction we actually want to go. Many of us are stuck in motion, a frenetic cycle of busywork that looks like productivity. But in reality, reactivity just keeps us running in circles, perpetually striving and feeling burned out, but not actually going anywhere worthwhile.
Continue reading “Less Noise, More Flow”