Distractions are Brutal

In the midst of writing a fairly serious blog post, the coffee shop I was at was closing, so I figured I’d simply close my laptop lid and finish it in the car. Unfortunately, the most recent Ubuntu OS has a known bug related to its suspend function, and when I went to open it: everything gone. It wasn’t a lot- three carefully edited paragraphs at best, but more importantly, my state of mind was shaken. I wasn’t mad, because well, you can’t be mad at a machine which follows imperfect instruction sets, you just have to surrender to its quirks. However, my focus on the topic as well as my emotional and memory associations have been thrown for a loop to the degree that I don’t wish to revisit the subject now. Unfortunately that blog post will have to wait.

Now what’s unavoidably on my mind is the unshakable relationship between flow and output. Output is easy if you’re in a state of flow. If someone cannot output, s/he cannot provide value because there is no product for a consumer to derive value from. Quality output -> value -> consumer interest -> financial capital. In short, the value of an unhindered flow should not be underestimated. So, what are some of these phenomena, or horizontal hindrances, which impede the vertical output we need so much, and how do we curtail some of them before they materialize into real distractions?

Piccola Necrofilaia by Gabriels

The most obvious disturbances are the minor stimuli in our immediate environment which most readily call for our attention. This could be something as simple as a drop of coffee spilled on a desk, a car’s headlights on a street, or crickets creating their own cricket reality right outside of a window. If your concentration and short-term memory are good, these stimuli should hardly phase you. If a telemarketer makes a call, it’s a bit more distracting, but it does not necessitate conscious attention. But, oh no, now a friend is calling! You probably wish to talk to him/her, there’s probably an interesting conversation awaiting, and you both want to talk and make the interaction the main focus. One option is to not answer, and return the phone call as soon as you’ve organized your most pressing thoughts. You can finish writing the paragraph you have floating around in broken mental pieces, or if you’re a programmer, you can first finish figuring out the repercussions of passing a public variable through a function you’re trying to incorporate before returning the call. The hopeful result is the call will feel like a refreshing break instead of a distraction that demands attention. We’re designed to feel in tune with our environment, and distractions are healthy when they don’t distract.

Other thought disturbances are less apparent, particularly those of a public or social nature which are more difficult to control. I believe Google did a substantial amount of research for the Googleplex and its offices focused on creating ideal work environments to maximize output and minimize distractions. Some of the results were recommendations to carefully manage colors in the environment, promote work space personalization and social relations, and avoid having foot traffic move behind anyone as they worked. This resulted in a colorfully creative and stimulating environment and an office setting which encouraged employees to face towards gathering spaces instead of the common trend of facing into walls. The focus on an efficient work space was well worth its research sticker, as Google’s top engineers provide millions of dollars of value to the company each year. If these human capital assets lose 5% of their focus, the output stream that has created the Google machine faces a real setback. It’s only logical to optimize as many objective environment details as possible before the law of diminishing returns sets in, which, in Google’s case is very, very high.

The most obvious distraction of all is that we’re biological creatures. We need food, sleep, and cellular metabolism to function, let alone exist. These are are greatest limitations of all. I have limited mental capacity, as my brain is biologically limited, and physical requirements simply take priority. If I didn’t have to eat, sleep, or even move and never lost mental clarity, I would be able constantly process input and output streams non-stop. That could be a state of mental nirvana, but it doesn’t manifest in our biological realm. Since our thinking operates off our brain and blood, it makes sense to keep that cardiovascular system healthy. I personally think a lot of this is tied to the human insulin system, and good insulin regulation is not only key to avoiding diabetes, but also to mental clarity. So, if you want to think effectively, take disciplined action to keep your insulin response healthy. Avoid any known risk of diabetes, such as high intake of sugary, high-glycemic foods, poor sleep, and inactivity. Two dietary sources known to prevent insulin resistance, and therefore support healthy insulin responses are actually coffee and alcohol. Try consuming coffee in upon waking and moderate alcohol later in that waking cycle.

For concentration, is your environment healthy, and does it prevent worry and induce creativity? Is the weather miserable or are you indoors all day? This is an aspect of where I live, North Texas, which I don’t like. Summers days here exceed 100 F frequently, and winters can be brutal. Homes here are large, often don’t have a gas line, and are built for Texas heat and often status. 40F on winter day is often less tolerable than 20F in areas further north which aren’t immersed in the humidity off the Gulf of Mexico. The low teens are painful, and for December and January of every year, the weather is unavoidably miserable. Some days have non-stop downpours of seemingly spiteful rain, and summers can span months on a few rain drops. Air often blurs like ripples through a pond on days which can be so hot and dry. A gem I stumbled upon in Wikipedia while reading about rainforests, was that the central region of the US experiences seasonal temperature shifts like no other region in the world. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most conducive environment for creativity, so I hope to travel more to offset some of what I perceive as geographical impediments.

External criticism and a need for self-reassurance are some of the most common impediments to a healthy output. I attach this to personal ego. Males often value themselves by their work and females are often sensitive and concerned with social approval. A failed entrepreneurial attempt can hurt anyone’s ego to the extent they avoid taking risks despite when smart management of these risks and perseverance can pave the road to substantial success. It’s hard to detach from the approval/disapproval system that’s been deeply ingrained in a social species throughout its evolution. Our drive for social approval feedback dates to the days we lived in tribes and had to be very careful about not upsetting a natural order. Consequently, fear of a negative feedback loop alters decisions which would have otherwise been made on clear judgment too often. On the other hand, a need for acceptance can induce financial impulsiveness.

Entrepreneurship author Seth Godin reflected in his blog yesterday that people are astounded when “someone shows up and acts without contradiction … When an athlete just does the sport, or when a writer just writes the words, we can’t help but watch, astonished at the purity of their actions. Why is it so difficult to do what we say we’re going to do.” When I read this, one of the first things that came to mind was actually Li’l Wayne. His output is substantial and he seems to have no self-doubt, stays dedicated, and shirks distraction. Now he’s in half the songs on the radio and has an enormous interlinking of other artists he artistically and financially collaborates with. He’s an example of someone who’s created an empire that was available to anyone with the capacity to take on. But, then again, Li’l Wayne might not be the best example of avoiding distraction; a few felony charges probably don’t make the best productivity enhancement.