Advice from a Stoic on how to focus in an era of mass distraction
3 hacks from Ryan Holiday
Everything about modern life is conspiring against our ability to stay focused. Powerful forces—from the makers of the devices on which we depend, to social media behemoths to streaming video services—profit from hijacking our limited attentional resources.
If you care about doing anything wise, creative, or even vaguely coherent, it’s imperative to reclaim your ability to focus.
My friend Ryan Holiday, the Stoic philosopher, has three strategies:
Treat focus like a calendar problem, not a character flaw. Focus is less about raw willpower and more a matter of planning and structure. Ryan suggests identifying your peak window—when your “focus reservoir” is at its highest—and defending it like a sacred appointment. He highlights Toni Morrison, who made the deliberate choice to get her writing done before she heard the word “mom” for the first time each day.
“Empty your cup” to stay teachable. Ryan shares the classic Zen story of a know-it-all scholar who visits a Zen master but can’t stop talking long enough to actually listen. To make a point, the master pours tea until the scholar’s cup is overflowing, telling him his mind is just like that cup: so full of his own opinions that no more wisdom can fit. To keep his own cup empty, Ryan uses a daily journaling practice to dump his first impressions and “ego clutter” onto the page. Offloading those thoughts helps create the space to truly take in new ideas and information, and respond with clarity.
Build a “second brain.” Trying to store every idea, quote, or bit of data in your head is a recipe for mental clutter. Ryan argues that if you don’t record and organize what you learn, it just goes into a “black hole.” He uses a system of physical note cards to offload information, which reduces his cognitive load and allows him to focus on the task at hand.
For more on how to get rid of mental junk and reclaim your attention, listen to my full episode with Ryan Holiday.
Also out today is my episode with science of happiness experts Sonja Lyubomirsky and Harry Reis, who share five simple strategies for reducing anxiety and increasing connection.
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The true source writings of stoicism are worth a read and easy to understand.
I find this boy "stoic" distracting because of his book with Peter Thiel. ymmv.
He has a close relationship with a man who wrote books on how to master other people.
Also he could learn a bit from Dan how to interview instead of mumble. ymmv.
Sometimes the black hole is an appropriate place for marginal ideas. I try to write everything down and as a result have hundreds of items in my “write about me” folder. I seldom check them, as new ideas tumble out of my consciousness all the time. Oops—there goes another one!