Lucas Seidenfaden – Thoughts

We live in the age of real-time connectivity. Everything needs to be quicker, faster, and more precise. The abundance of communication tools have enabled us to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues all around the world 24/7. Location and physical-proximity are non-issues, while the expectation of interaction is on the rise.

Yet somehow personal productivity does not seem to be keeping up. We can spend hours replying to Slack and Skype messages, and still feel like we didn’t get anything done. With every new communication tool introduced, there’s another little monster shouting for  our attention. And the effects of every new push notification, email buzz, Slack beep and Messenger toot, can be detrimental to our attention and work. Studies have shown that it can take us between 20 to 30 minutes to regain complete focus after each distraction.

So here’s a simple ask for distractees and distractors alike: Add some asynchronicity to your life.

Allow yourself to shut off all inbound communication when concentrating on a task, or even when spending time with family and friends. Keep your phone in “do-not-disturb” or even airplane mode. Don’t expect or demand an instant reply from the people you communicate with. Respect other’s schedules and time, and consider the implications of your communication. This will help you keep your concentration in the moment and improve your work productivity and interaction with the people around you. It might seem un-natural or contrived at the start, but over time you’ll see the benefits of this undisturbed focus.

Simple tips for asynchronous living:

• Disable all notifications on your phone
  Catch up with information when you need it, not when it arrives. Only check emails at predetermines times or intervals. This also applies to text mesages, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
• Close all email and IM clients on your
  Same as above. Try to use your computer as a tool and work on one thing at a time. You can briefly open apps at pre-determined intervals in order to “stay in the loop”.
• Use “Do-not-disturb” and airplane mode
  The best way not get distracted is to minimise their chance of getting to you.
• Don’t expect an instant reply
  Craft your communication in a way that does not prompt the recipient to reply instantly. Give them the time and space to answer when it suits them. You will notice people returning the favour and giving you more time to answer as well.

This post has been heavily inspired by Cal Newport’s Deep Work book. I listened to the audio book version and can definitely recommend it. For those who want just the core message, there’s also an animated YouTube video.

What’s your approach to handling communication in the interconnected world? Join the discussion in the comments!