3213: 4 Common Twitches That Steal (And Profit From) Your Attention by Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch

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[00:01:39] Your Attention by Anthony Angaro of BreakTheTwitch.com and my narrator Justin Mollick. This is where I share an article a day with permission from the authors to help both of us find more happiness, be more productive and be a bit more mindful.

[00:01:55] So without further ado let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life. Four Common Twitches That Steal and Profit From Your Attention by Anthony Angaro of BreakTheTwitch.com Back in 2014 I started noticing something strange.

[00:02:16] Every day there were small things I'd do that I often didn't even realize were happening. And although small, I couldn't help but notice the compounding effect those small things were making in my life.

[00:02:30] It was the result of the four most common twitches adding up to create a massive impact. These tiny unintentional actions I was taking would temporarily solve the discomfort I was feeling. I'd wish I were more physically fit and click, I'd order some running shoes.

[00:02:49] Procrastinating on a writing project? Tap on the Instagram app. The more I started paying attention, the more I saw these twitches literally everywhere. A one-click workout tracker purchase that would surely start my workout habit this time. Well it didn't.

[00:03:06] A quick Instagram check mere seconds after closing the app. Still nothing to see there. Pulling out my phone one millisecond after my lunch date got up from the table to go to

[00:03:17] the bathroom as if I could hardly wait for them to leave so I could check on the rest of the world. Taking out my iPhone and without thinking, opening the Facebook app while looking at Facebook on the laptop in front of me. Double yikes.

[00:03:33] The immediate enthusiastic yes to commitments I didn't have the time or space for because at some deep level, not being liked is uncomfortable. People pleasers unite. A new super exciting project idea that conveniently comes up when an existing project starts getting difficult.

[00:03:52] I can't help but leap over and start the exciting learning curve part all over again while leaving yet another thing unfinished. While all of these scenarios are different, they're all in the category of what I call the twitch.

[00:04:08] These common twitches pacify our tiny discomforts during the day with impulsive, unproductive solutions. This is problematic because these non-life threatening discomforts are our biggest growth opportunities as human beings. When we succumb to them instead of facing the discomfort, we lease out our attention

[00:04:30] for the benefit and profit of others, mostly billion and trillion dollar corporations. And what do we get back for this attention we freely give away? Some temporary comfort from momentary discomfort. Since that fateful office interruption in 2014 that changed my life, I've been working to

[00:04:51] understand why these distractions are so darn appealing and what we can do to break the twitch and truly own our attention again. The four most common twitches. While each of them are different, there are overlapping elements across the four most common twitches. Number one, the newsfeed twitch.

[00:05:14] In addiction to anything and everything new. An article in the New York Times, a new front page on Reddit, a reshoveled feed on Instagram, an alert, a text message, the latest email in your inbox.

[00:05:28] We crave the quick hit of dopamine from something new being available for us, and there always will be something new. Always. It's the internet, not a newspaper. The new twitch is exacerbated by notifications and the constant access we allow through the smartphones that almost never leave our side.

[00:05:48] If you struggle to sit and watch the world go by while you wait for a friend to arrive at your meeting place, it's probably because of this twitch. Number two, the false first step twitch.

[00:06:02] It's a one-click purchase that feels like a step towards something we want to accomplish, but it ends up gathering dust in the closet. The yoga mat, the personal development book, the athleisure wear, the guitar.

[00:06:15] The false first step can also take the form of talking about your intentions or sharing what you're going to do with a friend. Sometimes saying it feels good enough that you don't actually end up doing it unless they help you stay accountable.

[00:06:30] If this is a consistent pattern that exists in your life, it's the false first step twitch. Habits are the foundation of what we do and who we are, but habits are, well, hard.

[00:06:43] Talking about it or buying stuff on the other hand is easy, especially when it comes to buying stuff online. With one click of the mouse or a tap of the finger, we trick our brains into feeling like we took a step toward our goals.

[00:06:56] We get to be excited again when it arrives in the mail. And nothing changes, except maybe our credit card balances. Ouch. The false first step twitch is exacerbated by instant access to just about anything we could possibly want delivered within 2-48 hours.

[00:07:15] The effort required is so little that it's practically effortless. Number 3. The yes twitch. The yes twitch is when we say yes to requests or commitments that we don't actually have time for or want to do.

[00:07:31] This is because the confrontation of saying no is a form of discomfort we aim to avoid. That, and well, we want people to like us, or it might be an exciting shiny new object.

[00:07:42] It's human nature to not want to disappoint the people we love and seek approval from. Without proper boundaries in place, we overcommit ourselves in ways that aren't beneficial. This doesn't mean you don't help out a friend or do things for other people, nor

[00:07:59] does it mean not saying yes to great opportunities. It's more about the things that, in our gut, we know aren't good uses of our time, but we say yes anyway. It's much easier to say yes now and deal with it later than it is to create an uncomfortable

[00:08:15] situation by saying no right away. There might be social pressure, such as the fear of missing out or FOMO, that pressures us into this circumstance as well. And number four, the shiny new object twitch. When things get boring or difficult, this twitch steals our attention away for another

[00:08:37] new and more exciting pursuit. This is like a 30-acre property full of unlivable half-constructed houses. It's a plethora of new ventures and projects, many drop balls and little follow through. It's great to try new things and experiment, but only if we have the space needed to give

[00:08:58] it our full attention. Starting something new periodically isn't necessarily a twitch, nor is trying something new and learning it's not for you. The shiny new object twitch is if there's a pattern of starting many things, not finishing,

[00:09:13] then jumping to something different once the initial exciting newness simmers down. Take a look back on commitments you've made over past months and years. Consider how often you take on new things, and how often you're able to fully follow

[00:09:28] through with them, and see if you notice any patterns. I'm uncomfortable right now, and that's okay. The twitch is tough, especially in today's environment. But unfortunately it's only going to get harder from here.

[00:09:43] As technology advances, there will be even more ways our attention is taken away from us. It all starts with awareness of the discomfort. Our biggest opportunity for growth as humans is in the face of discomfort and adversity.

[00:09:59] Much like how lifting heavy things break our muscles and rebuild them stronger, we can reclaim the attention being stolen from us and use it to better our lives and the lives of the people we care about. You're not alone in facing these common twitches.

[00:10:17] By facing discomforts we're not used to sitting with for very long, we can start breaking the twitch that helps us temporarily escape it. And we don't have to do it alone. Being in a community of others working towards breaking the twitch and owning our attention helps.

[00:10:33] We know that the difficulty really comes in doing the work and staying consistent. There are also ways to hack these common twitches that I share in a more in-depth video and post. There's a better life out there where we can exist in the moment, have a deep awareness

[00:10:49] of how our attention is being used, and direct it in the most meaningful ways imaginable. It all starts here. Are you ready? Let's go. You just listened to the post titled 4 Common Twitches That Steal and Profit From Your Attention

[00:11:10] by Anthony Ongaro of BreakTheTwitch.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Anthony. I know I've done all of these at different points in my life, nice to hear I'm not the only one.

[00:11:23] But probably because I read these articles to you every day and then edit them, which is basically like re-reading them, much of this content has been internalized and I'm much better about these things. Like the first one, the newsfeed twitch.

[00:11:39] I used to check Facebook and Instagram pretty regularly, but these days very, very little. In fact, I'm very rarely on Instagram at all, and not on my personal account, I haven't used that in ages.

[00:11:53] As for text messages, I could probably work on that, like not looking at it immediately, but I don't receive too many so I don't think it's affecting me much in my day-to-day. Now that said, I might be more likely to fall for the shiny new object syndrome, or

[00:12:09] buying something small really quickly thinking it'll make a big difference only to realize that it didn't. That's something I can probably still work on a bit more. But I do think I've improved there too compared to before I started this podcast.

[00:12:23] Again, luckily these topics tend to come up frequently enough that it's more second nature to me, and I'm a bit more mindful than before. I think that's one area where this podcast has saved me money and time, which is amazing.

[00:12:36] I'm sure it can do the same for you. So with that, thank you for being here on this journey with me. Have a great rest of your day, and I'll see you back here tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.