Doing a lot of things at once makes it impossible to strengthen the neutral pathway because so many things are firing at once
When switching tasks, you get left with "attention residue", diluting your focus. Checking messages really quickly is a way of starting tasks that you can't finish, leaving that residue on your focus.
Busyness as a proxy for productivity- in the absence of clear indicators of what it means to be productive, people reach for industrial tools, like being visibly busy
The first step to changing the world is changing how you see it
It's harder to enjoy free time than work because it's naturally unstructured and there are no clear goals. Deep work generates flow states
Your engineering may become archaic, but your craftsmanship can still be honored eternally
Great creative minds think like artists, but work like accountants
Deep work styles: monastic (no external distractions), bimodal (seasonal focus, minimum one day), rhythmic (same time of day), journalistic (when schedule allows, minimum one hour)
Regardless, use the same place every time, make rules to reduce willpower drains, and know what supporting things you need
"Grand gestures", like exotic locations, reduce your mind's desire to procrastinate
In 4DX terms, your lead measure is hours spent in deep work toward your WIG
Don't carry context between days- when you're done, be done
You can only spend between one and four hours a day in deliberate practice
Have a shutdown ritual for work
Once you wire yourself for constant distraction, you start craving it
Schedule blocks of time to use the internet, and avoid it otherwise
While doing something physical like walking, focus on a singular problem (productive meditation)
Be on guard for "looping"
Concentration is more important than memory for remembering things
It's not whether there's some benefit to be gained from social media, it's the opportunity cost of it
Approach the networked tools you use as a time investment