1---
 2title: "Focus intentionally"
 3author: Amolith
 4cover: ./cover.png
 5lastmod: 2022-04-23T21:12:29-04:00
 6categories: ["Meta"]
 7draft: true
 8---
 9
10I am too easily distracted. Sitting at my desk on an average day, I have movies,
11TV shows, and YouTube videos, about a million different chat applications, my
12email client, Steam, and a web browser with yet more chat apps plus social media
13all within a couple keystrokes' reach. Along with whatever primary task I've set
14out to do, I _also_ have a really chaotic brain and about a million other tasks
15bouncing around in it.
16
17Putting all of this together results in terrible productivity and incessant
18procrastination If my primary task is something I'm less-than-motivated to
19accomplish.
20
21In a recent episode of _The Art of Manliness_, Brett McKay interviews Dr. BJ
22Fogg about his new book, _Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change
23Everything_. One of Dr. Fogg's statements in this episode stuck with me; when
24training yourself to adopt new behaviours, there are three things that must
25factors that determine your success: motivation, ability, and a prompt. A prompt
26is just something that reminds you of the behaviour you're trying to adopt. The
27act of brushing your teeth might be the prompt for flossing. The act of flossing
28might be the prompt for making coffee. In my situation, the prompt is just
29needing to get work done so we'll ignore that factor. Ability refers to how
30simple you find the task and motivation is how motivated you are to accomplish
31it. These last two must balance each other out; if your motivation to complete
32the task is low, your ability must be high — the task must be easy, while if
33your ability is low, your motivation must be rather high.
34
35## Note
36
37- Close primary browser with a million tabs open and use Epiphany
38- Close all the chat apps
39- Disable notifications/enable Do Not Disturb mode on _both_ your phone _and_
40  computer
41- Take off your smart/fitness watch
42- If you listen to music, make it something calming, not eclectic
43
44## References
45
46- [The Art of Manliness: Become a Focused Monotasker](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/monotasking-podcast/)
47- [The Art of Manliness: The Tiny Habits That Change Everything](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/habits/podcast-581-the-tiny-habits-that-change-everything/)