 Attention and Focus Long time no see/read/post… It has come to my attention (see what I did there) that modern attention span is 30 seconds. At least as it pertains to digital interfaces and social media. So I will do my best to keep each section in this long overdue post either under that time frame or worth reading beyond it. Who am I kidding. It’ll be under 30 seconds per section, don’t worry. Having said that, in my search to confirm the above, that our attention span is now ~30 s, I came across Dr. Gloria Mark and her book “Attention Span,” which I just ordered. How about this banger of a quote, Attention is the currency of our time. Social Media Which brings me to why my posts have been much less frequent than last decade. For one, life and work is different. And two, so is social media. Whereas social media used to be conducive to learning, it is now an avenue for marketing, performance and consumption. I believe some call it, Attention Media, rather than Social Media. But that’s just the way it is. Who am I to complain. Pressing post (on a video - polished or not) has become the new publish. And hence the above - “attention span is 30 seconds.” Besides, I used to blog for me, not for an audience. For me to put my thoughts on “paper.” For me to piece things together from seemingly random disciplines and cross-pollinate. And subsequently for me to stand corrected, if applicable, when my posts were “cross examined” by readers. Which was how I learned and grew. BEFORE blocking, unfollowing and deleting were things. And before we figuratively over-consumed on the Information Diet. Over-Consumption, Attention Span and the Need to Repeat Let me hyperlink the Information Diet here again. As I did literally two lines above. Why? Because we are turning into Popcorn Brains, and need to be reminded and repeated to several times over for thoughts, ideas and concepts to stick. "Popcorn brain" refers to a state of mental restlessness caused by overstimulation from constant digital, social media, and screen usage, leading to a fragmented, "popping" attention span that jumps rapidly between tasks. Let me simplify in mathematical terms: A surplus of information x our decreasing attention spans = the need to be repeated to. Exhibit A: Matt Damon claiming Netflix advises filmmakers to repeat plot points three or four times in dialogue to cater to viewers distracted by their phones: So now what? 1. Read Ryan Holiday’s post on X. Ryan Holiday in the Information Diet (there’s the link again):
2. Watch Scott Galloway’s recent Q&A. Scott Galloway in “The Rise of the Grifter Economy.”
 Prof G, if you’re seeing this, sorry about the screenshot. Overstimulation and Overabundance Let’s end with the fun stuff. The reason this is cross-pollinated with all of the above is the central theme of “volume.” I’m running. Don’t ask, I just am. And apparently, distance race times are inversely correlated with running volume…in general. Apparently. So I’m trying to run a lot. Or as I like to say, as much as possible, as easy as possible, and as gradual as possible. And in my overconsumption of material to make myself a better runner, I came across this substack with Iñaki De La Parra and the legendary, Joel Filliol. Here are a but a few of the notable quotes:
This needs it’s own section: Frequency comes first because it is the best way to distribute biomechanical load and make work more manageable. Volume comes next because it builds metabolic fitness and aerobic conditioning. Intensity comes third because… it is the least sustainable piece and mostly serves as a finishing touch for (race) readiness.
In closing, Volume is not the problem. Poorly managed load is.
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