David Epstein discovered that after being advised to move slowly due to stitches, he felt happier by monotasking. He tracked his activities and realized that focusing on one task at a time, without distractions, led to greater satisfaction. The discomfort of his situation acted as a deterrent to multitasking, reinforcing the idea that limits are essential for creative work. Epstein emphasizes that cultivating focus is crucial in a distraction-filled world, and it shouldn't take a medical situation to achieve this concentration.
"I started tracking what I was doing in a journal to see if I could figure out what was going on. My conclusion: It wasn't so much what I was doing as what I wasn't doing."
"Whether I was reading, working on my computer, or brushing my teeth, I was 'monotasking,' concentrating on one thing at a time. Not being able to move quickly or turn my head had the effect of forcing me to focus."
"It shouldn't take a medical situation to impel this kind of concentration. But his experience was a reminder that work, especially the creative kind, requires limits."
Read at The Atlantic
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