I don’t know about you, but I sure do waste a lot of time.
If I don’t keep my attention under tight wraps, it quickly wanders after the first even remotely shiny object.
My internet browser has a way of opening YouTube of its own accord, and when it does, time suddenly moves at Ludicrous Speed.
Hours vanish in an instant.
I swear, I only watched one video. It was only 3 minutes.
So where did the last 4 hours of my life run off to?
The Brain Is Inherently Lazy
Humans are a walking contradiction.
On the one hand, our brains have evolved for maximum efficiency. It’s highly adept at simplifying and encoding complex stimuli for easy future retrieval.
We call this muscle memory, and it’s why things get easier over time (aka: how we learn).
And this makes sense when you consider how much energy your brain gobbles up when running at maximum capacity. You’d be an energy drained puddle unable to get out of bed if your brain was constantly running at 100%.
It’s only natural, therefore, that your brain should delight in mindless input.
Netflix isn’t dominating our attention simply because they make entertaining television. They’re dominating our attention because that’s what our brains want.
But is that what you really want?
Does binge watching 8 hours of Game of Thrones leave you feeling happy? Or does it make you feel a little dirty? Like maybe you’re wasting this one at bat life has given you?
Regret is a hell of a thing.
YOU Are Not Inherently Lazy
You don’t want to waste your time on meaningless drivel.
I know this because studies consistently show that people reach their maximum levels of happiness when they are challenged or fully engaged.
When we are pushed to the limits of our physical or cognitive abilities, we enter what is known as a flow-state.
The flow-state is like entering into an alternative universe where suddenly you’ve developed a singular, almost superhero’esque focus.
Time passes in the blink of an eye, but this time, it’s because you’ve brought the full weight of your attention to bear.
This is the polar opposite of the mindless drivel the brain wants.
The brain doesn’t want to be challenged. It doesn’t want to work hard.
It’s like any other muscle. It wants to be used…but not too much.
But if you want it to grow you’ve got to push that muscle beyond it’s comfort zone.
You’ve got to make it do harder and harder things.
It’s the same with your brain.
Because here’s the second most important thing you should take away from this article:
You are not your brain.
What motivates your brain to seek out low input media is not what motivates you (the individual who wants to live their life to the fullest and realize their full potential).
Once you accept this truth, you’ll have a minor epiphany:
You and your brain are at war.
Win the Battle, Win the Day.
Remember how earlier I told you the second most important thing for you to take away from this article?
Well, buckle up, because we’re quickly approaching the part where I tell you the firstly most important thing to take away.
But before we get there a quick disclaimer:
Yes, you and your brain are at war. But this isn’t one of those winner-takes-all sorts of things.
This is a battle waged daily.
Some days you’ll rout your brain. These are the magical times where you’re focused and alert and, more often than not, under a tight deadline.
Other days and these are the far more common days, you’re gonna get your butt handed to you.
Take your beating with humility, accept that you’re fighting millions of years worth of evolution, and get back up ready for the next round.
The Most Important Thing Is A Question
Your brain uses two tactics to win the attention war.
First, it sucks you into a zombie-like state without you ever noticing.
This occurs when you tell yourself, “I’ll jus check Facebook real quick,” and next thing you know 45 minutes have passed and you’re watching videos of adorable balls of floof doing…anything.
Second, your brain tricks you into consciously deciding, “I’m too tired to do anything”.
At this point you’ve given your brain permission to carry you away on a zephyr of distraction.
Regardless of which tactic your brain deploys, I’ve discovered there’s a single question I can ask myself that drags me from the clutches of catatonia, and puts me back on the path of productive righteousness.
That question is:
What’s my outcome?
Pretty simple, huh?
It might not seem like much, but this question is immensely powerful. It forces you to consciously analyze what you are currently doing, and then, as a happy consequence, it creates a situation whereby you’re forced to consider if this action is helping or hurting you.
Consider: I have a mountain of a to-do list sitting beside me. These to-dos are based on actions I’ve previously deemed important in getting me to where I want to go in life.
Now, if somehow I sneak over to YouTube and start watching cat videos, the question, What’s my outcome?, creates a scenario whereby I have to acknowledge that my current actions are not leading me towards my goals.
This is important because remember how earlier I said humans attain maximum levels of happiness when they are forced outside their comfort zone? Well, in a lot of ways, that’s precisely what goals do.
It’s an outcome of a certain difficulty you’ve deemed worth working towards.
The simple trick to turn this into a daily practice.
Remember, the brain has two tactics for getting what it wants.
One is a full-frontal attack that convinces you to side with it and choose the path of least resistance.
The other tactic is a sneaky little turnip. It’s subtle and has a way of creeping up and tackling you before you ever even knew it was there.
So how do you combat this?
Use technology.
Specifically, I use a reminder app on my phone and program it to ask me, What’s my outcome?, every couple of hours. If I’m feeling especially off-task, I might have it hit me up every hour. It all just depends on the day.
It’s insane how effective this technique is. You’ll likely be surprised at how often that alert pops up and you’ll find yourself doing something completely unrelated to your goals/to-do list.
But once you’re aware that your lazy brain has taken the advantage, you can quickly turn the tables, because remember, you are not your brain.
You are in control. Your brain is not.
So get out there and start asking yourself, What’s my outcome?
Is this task taking you closer or further from the life you want to live?
The answer to that question is powerful.
Powerful enough to get you focused and back and task.
