Intentional Attention (Part 2)

In part two of our conversation regarding your time and its value, Matt and I discuss the concept of intentional attention. Your time is a limited resource. How often do you find yourself scrolling through your phone on social media, clicking on videos and generally winding up down a rabbit hole? Suddenly, you look up and three hours have passed. Probably more than you’d care to admit, right? You’re not alone. Forty seven percent of Americans identify as being addicted to their cell phones. So how do we quit the habit?Think about your time as currency. You are paying Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…whatever your guilty pleasures might be, with your time. That’s not all you’re spending. You are also paying them with your information which is fed to advertisers. Billions of dollars are spent and received keeping your eyeballs glued to your screen.How can you spend less? Be intentional. Organize your tech habits - make reading lists in your browser or folders in your email that you store articles or other materials you’d like to read at some point. Schedule “reading” time to go back and choose what you actually want to spend time reading.Set a curfew for your screens and put them away (out of sight, out of mind) during downtime.Make a schedule and stick to it. Give yourself a prescribed amount of time for scrolling, tweeting, reading…whatever it is you enjoy but set a timer and stick to it. The overall question you should ask yourself is “am I getting value from this activity?” Or, in other words, is it worth your time? Be intentional with your attention.