Cultivating the world's longest attention span

I have recently noticed how difficult it is to stay focused on a task for a long period of time. While I have the enthusiasm and energy to start a task, my mind quickly wanders and I begin thinking about other things I would like to do. This is not only true during work days, but also during quiet evenings, weekends, and holidays, when there are no distractions or work-related tasks that need my attention.

I used to justify this behavior to myself, saying that it was fine to be interested in many things and to constantly shuffle tasks and activities. I even took pride in my ability to multitask and get a lot of work done in a short period of time. However, I now realize that this behavior is a major obstacle to doing first-class work.

I recently came across an interview with Derek Sivers, in which he said, “I have the world’s longest attention span. I can focus on one thing without disruption for a long, long time. When my son wants to go play on the playground, I can take him and be just as immersed in his world as he is for as long as he wants. I can stay there for three hours. Then, if he wants to do something else, I can keep going. There is no rush because I don’t need to be doing something else. Whatever I’m doing can hold my attention for lengths of time that nobody else can understand.”

This struck me as something that I am not able to do. I realized that there are several reasons why I struggle to maintain a long attention span. Firstly, I have become a slave to my natural environment. The fast-paced nature of my work week means that my mind is always in “default mode,” which makes it difficult to switch gears or modes. For example, if I work on a fast-paced trading floor for five days a week, it is difficult for me to completely switch off and relax when I am not at work, as the constant buzzing of orders, screaming colleagues, and ringing phones fills my mind.

Secondly, I have become a slave to the “tools” around me, such as the internet and its many applications, notifications, and hardware, which contribute to a shorter attention span. With so much news and entertainment at my fingertips, I never have to feel bored or still.

Thirdly, I have succumbed to the culture of always being reachable and “on the ball,” responding to emails, messages, and pings as soon as I receive them. While this is often seen as a valuable trait in the modern world, it has serious downsides. With a short attention span, nothing ever gets done properly, and I am constantly lost in a maze of planning and procrastination. I have a shallow knowledge of many areas, but none of it has depth. My mind is never at peace and is constantly jumping from one place to another. I am always looking back and anxious about how little I have actually “achieved.”

However, I believe that cultivating a long attention span is a skill that can be developed through focused practice and repetition. There are a few practical steps that I have tried in order to improve my attention span.

Firstly, I have defined a set of “focus activities” for myself. These are activities that are separate from tasks like cooking, cleaning, or answering emails, and are related to Cal Newport’s concept of “deep work.” These focus activities are sacred and have specific rules about how I go about them. These rules and rituals help me to improve my concentration and focus on the task at hand.

Some examples of these rules might include:

1- Time yourself doing a focus activity for a period of time and take note how long you are doing it undisturbed.

2- Schedule the focus activities in advance, preferably during the day.

3- Remove all distractions during the time you are working on a timed activity. Notice yourself deviating from the given task, such as checking your phone, email, or navigating to another browser window.

4- Write on a small piece of paper that whatever you are doing right now, is the most important thing. Be proud of yourself for sticking to it for a long time.

5- Practice doing nothing. Sit still for an extended period of time per day, at least for 30 minutes. Do not do anything at that time. Get bored and learn to be fine bored. Just be in that state and not get fidgety to do other things. Prove to yourself that this is a state of mind that you can be for 5 minutes, or 30 or few hours.

6- Perfect your environment. Work in a quiet place at a quiet time. Light a few candles around you. Remove all digital screens.