Re:The Dangerous Effects of Reading
by dredmorbius on Thursday December 29, 2011 @01:19PM
(#3404627)
Timeboxing.
If you're going to devote a portion of your life to "consuming" (or, to use a more elevated term, "researching"), and a term to producing, and you're finding you're overwhelming yourself with the research phase, timebox it. Set a limit to how much time, or how much of your day, you're going to expose yourself to inputs.
Identify the stuff that you've absolutely got to pay attention to: the truck barreling down the street, the cliff at your feet, bills to pay, eating, time on the loo. Exercise.
And identify the time you're going to spend being creative and productive.
It doesn't have to be absolutely rigid deadlines, but there should be some sense of order to it. Some people work better with more structure, some with less. Find your own method in the madness and stick to it.
Yes, we're in a culture that makes consumption, and productivity dedicated to the interests of others (often our employers) easier, the norm, and default. Think of it as yet another system to hack for your interests and goals.
Good filters are good. But the flipside of a strong reject discriminant is identifying that which is worthy or simply that which you want to spend time with, and do so. Wiping out the other distractions at this point is very useful.
If you're going to devote a portion of your life to "consuming" (or, to use a more elevated term, "researching"), and a term to producing, and you're finding you're overwhelming yourself with the research phase, timebox it. Set a limit to how much time, or how much of your day, you're going to expose yourself to inputs.
Identify the stuff that you've absolutely got to pay attention to: the truck barreling down the street, the cliff at your feet, bills to pay, eating, time on the loo. Exercise.
And identify the time you're going to spend being creative and productive.
It doesn't have to be absolutely rigid deadlines, but there should be some sense of order to it. Some people work better with more structure, some with less. Find your own method in the madness and stick to it.
Yes, we're in a culture that makes consumption, and productivity dedicated to the interests of others (often our employers) easier, the norm, and default. Think of it as yet another system to hack for your interests and goals.
Good filters are good. But the flipside of a strong reject discriminant is identifying that which is worthy or simply that which you want to spend time with, and do so. Wiping out the other distractions at this point is very useful.