June 1, 2011

Divine disconnection

In this post you will find a link to an article about management of quality time versus staying connected.

Let's face it: Computers, cellulars and all kinds of digital gadgets are not disappearing anywhere and will keep keeping us connected until the end of time. The questions is how each one of us deals with it. Just as it is an endless resource for creativity, work and intelligence I am convinced it also leads to poor quality and execution regardless of what type of work you are doing, but some might be more vulnerable than others.

This article reminded me about something I read/heard several years ago in regards to creative work. What I read was a reference to "the flow"; a state of mind that usually kicks in let's say 10-20 minutes after you start working creatively using the left side of your brain. It is a state of mind that actually can be compared to floating. Ever been on a mattress on the ocean feeling the tranquility of the wave movements, staring into an endless sky and it's almost like time stops?  Compare it to surfing or downhill skiing, or any other activity that seem to break up your perception of time versus activity.

When you enter this floating phase it is like other elements around you disappear. You are so deep into and concentrated about what you are doing that you actually loose track of time and you do not notice well, for example if somebody is addressing you with a question. I consider myself as a pretty organized person and if I can I prefer a systematic approach to a work task rather than improvising. The kind of person that likes to systematize things, arrange a spice rack alphabetically and take a look at my watch to know how much time is left of my favorite show. But so clearly I can experience loosing track of time when hitting "the flow" and me that normally can predict well both the hour and how much time has gone by is obviously somehow a little "spaced out". In regards to the time element it was a very simple scientific explanation: Your left side brain is so involved with creative work that other parts of the brain dealing with time perception, language center etc is sort of disengaged. But why do I mention this in regards to time management ? Because "the flow" was pointed out by experts within creative industries to be an extremely important phase of any creative work. And if this is true it is a state of mind that clearly do not mingle well with staying connected.


The linked article also try to explain why we have a tendency to run away to the next connection point. I am not sure if it is right to explain it all away with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, because I believe different psychological archetypes can give significant variations; for example differences between being inner-driven versus outer-driven. What I do agree with is that connectivity can be used as an excuse and/or a way of avoiding dealing with any subject and eventually influence productivity and quality. Here's a fun allegory to a daily life situation: One day I talked to  my older brother and since there is a certain amount of years between us it happens that our outlook on life and perceptions can be quite different. On a normal busy day, being a little behind schedule I was connected with my bluetooth, going through emails, making dinner and basically multitasking while being on the phone. Suddenly I hear loudly: "Are you listening ???" I told the truth about my multitasking efforts and he said: "Well, this is what happens when you are trying to do more than one thing at the same time"'. (And I had to listen to his story all over again....) In a sense he is very right and he should know working with quality and security issues every day.  The thing is that some tasks simply require our concentration and attention without interruptions. (And I am not talking about a daily chat between siblings) My brother are concerned for future generations but I am more optimistic because as humans we are extremely good at adapting to changes and new technology. On the downside I believe we in a transition period are going to see an increase in accidents and incidents. The statistics on car accidents caused by use of electronic equipment is a scary confirmation of that, but it can just as well be translated to lower productivity and mistakes caused by lack of concentration/focus. Needless to say all these factors can lead to increased costs.

On a social level I find it sometimes ironic, when someone spend almost all the time being digitally connected during social gatherings missing out on the raw connections to life (like ordering in fast food while having a gourmet meal served right in front of you.) I believe each one of us need to work out our own levels of connectivity and balance it towards work tasks, social life and expectations. The link post has 5 ideas /solutions that might inspire you to re consider your prioritization of time.

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