The harder I work, the luckier I get. That mantra has long served me well. It’s also created a blind spot: when in doubt, I work on my laptop, iPad, phone. If you don’t see a problem with that, we may have something in common.
We are fast becoming a nation of screenaholics; addicted to screens for stimulation in one form or another. We are, in short, too plugged in. We are screening out our best work.
What’s enough?
Between work and play, how many hours are you with a screen? The Council for Research Excellence says it’s about eight hours a day—more for adults 45-54.
Last week I met with the smartest people I know to discuss, among other things, how to hold the attention of increasingly distracted consumers. Ironically, while many of us were engaged in the discussion we did so while also checking email, updating statuses, and who knows what else. We were distracted in our discussion on overcoming distraction. Yikes.
Get more from less
Wanna get more from your screen time? Cut back. I don’t mean do less. Quite the contrary: get more done by setting limits.
- Get a timer like my ladybug pal (above)
- Set it to 25 minutes and work without interruption
- When the bell sounds, take a 5-minute break—away from screens
- Then, repeat
Why this works
You’re tricking your subconscious into working against a deadline. You’ll get more done when time is short. Like, say, 25 minutes. This process is known as The Pomodoro Technique:
You’ll do more. You’ll live more once your best is less screened.
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