Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 1112 answers
Doing one thing at a time produces better results faster than switching between tasks.
Doing one thing at a time produces better results faster than switching between tasks.
Every time you switch tasks, you pay a recovery tax — between 10 and 25 minutes of degraded cognition while your brain reloads the previous context. This cost is invisible because you feel busy the entire time.
Every time you switch tasks, you pay a recovery tax — between 10 and 25 minutes of degraded cognition while your brain reloads the previous context. This cost is invisible because you feel busy the entire time.
Identify when you are sharpest and guard those hours for your most demanding work.
Identify when you are sharpest and guard those hours for your most demanding work.
Your attention goes where your intention already pointed it. Decide what to focus on before you start, and your perceptual system reorganizes around that decision — filtering, prioritizing, and surfacing what matters while suppressing what does not.
Your attention goes where your intention already pointed it. Decide what to focus on before you start, and your perceptual system reorganizes around that decision — filtering, prioritizing, and surfacing what matters while suppressing what does not.
Your attention goes where your intention already pointed it. Decide what to focus on before you start, and your perceptual system reorganizes around that decision — filtering, prioritizing, and surfacing what matters while suppressing what does not.
Without deliberate structure your attention will scatter to whatever is most stimulating.
Without deliberate structure your attention will scatter to whatever is most stimulating.
Without deliberate structure your attention will scatter to whatever is most stimulating.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Physical and digital environments either support or undermine your focus.
Every notification you allow is an attention tax — audit ruthlessly.
Every notification you allow is an attention tax — audit ruthlessly.
Every notification you allow is an attention tax — audit ruthlessly.
Every notification you allow is an attention tax — audit ruthlessly.
Every notification you allow is an attention tax — audit ruthlessly.
Unfinished tasks leave attention residue that degrades focus on subsequent tasks.