3366: [Part 2] The Only Resource More Precious Than Time by David Cain of Raptitude on Value of Attention

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: This complex financing talk is very challenging. Do I get my depot ever?

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_01]: But you already have a depot.

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_00]: No.

[00:00:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, you have the Vodafone Gigadepot.

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: That's right! And I have myself in the hand how big my depot is.

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Now with the Vodafone Gigadepot and the data volume of耐用 in the next month. Go on in the 5G network of Vodafone. Vodafone. Together we can.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Before we start, please check out our new podcast Good Sleep.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep?

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_02]: That's the idea behind our new podcast Good Sleep.

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_02]: Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_02]: And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_02]: So press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_02]: This is Optimal Living Daily, the only resource more precious than time, part two, by David Cain of raptitude.com.

[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm Justin Malek.

[00:01:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to the old podcast, the OLD podcast, Optimal Living Daily, where I read to you like a big ongoing audiobook from many different authors,

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_02]: today being a continuation from yesterday.

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_02]: So I'd recommend listening to yesterday's episode first.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_02]: But if you're all caught up, let's get right to part two and continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_02]: The only resource more precious than time, part two, by David Cain of raptitude.com.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_02]: The biggest thief.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_02]: It's thoughts that steal the vast majority of our attention.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_02]: By sending you on aimless tangents and wild goose chases,

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_02]: they pilfer enormous amounts of your potentially priceless attention from your life, bit by bit.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Aimless thinking is incredibly pervasive in humankind.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not talking about an inefficient hour here or there.

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm talking about years of your life, gone with nothing to show for it.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_02]: The 50% rate of wasted attention in the previous example is probably very low.

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Thoughts jump from one to another so rapidly and seamlessly that time just disappears.

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_02]: Perhaps in that hour, your attention was captured by the thoughts you had about your deadline,

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_02]: which led to thoughts about your boss's opinion of you.

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_02]: Which led to thoughts about your future at your company,

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_02]: which led you to the worry that you'll get passed up for the next promotion,

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_02]: which led you to a fantasy about working four hours a week and making a million dollars a year.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_02]: Then you look up and remember, you're supposed to be writing a report.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER_02]: You begin to feel restless and go make coffee.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_02]: Now it's 17 minutes later and you've done nothing.

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_02]: That's just a simple example.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_02]: A real-life wandering train of thought is usually more complex,

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_02]: potentially visiting dozens of topics in a minute or two,

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_02]: each one leaving its own residue of emotion and doubt.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_02]: In addition to the considerable drain these attention-stealing thoughts place on your time,

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_02]: they can lead to troublesome negative thoughts about yourself or your situation.

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_02]: They can leave you in a bad mood, further taxing your capacity to be productive.

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Thoughts are particularly dangerous attention thieves because all thoughts claim to be important,

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_02]: not unlike a teenage drama queen.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_02]: They scream,

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, look at me.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_02]: I need you to deal with me right now.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Be discriminant.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_02]: You don't open up your wallet every time you see a for sale sign,

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_02]: so be similarly thrifty when it comes to spending your attention.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_02]: Most thoughts are useless and repetitive and have nothing of value to offer you.

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_02]: So get into the habit of returning your attention to the task at hand

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_02]: rather than attending to thoughts that arise.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_02]: If the thought reminds you of something you need to do,

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_02]: write it down and continue with your work.

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_02]: When something has your attention,

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_02]: recognize that you are making a purchase.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_02]: You're spending a finite resource,

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_02]: so make sure you're getting something in return.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_02]: Most people don't even think about where their attention is.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_02]: A thought occurs and they jump right on it,

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_02]: either mentally or with their whole body,

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_02]: rushing to do something as soon as they think of it.

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Don't make impulsive purchases.

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Know what you're getting.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_02]: You can spend all the time in the world on something,

[00:04:35] [SPEAKER_02]: but if your attention doesn't stay focused on it,

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_02]: that time is never converted into anything useful to you.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Leverage.

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_02]: Clever listeners may have realized that

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_02]: other people have this precious resource too,

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and if you give them a reason,

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_02]: they can give it to you.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_02]: If you've captured someone else's attention,

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_02]: you can employ it to produce something that is valuable to you or others.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_02]: The classic example is that of a hired employee.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_02]: As an employer, you can easily buy someone's time for a flat rate,

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_02]: but only if you're an effective manager can you direct their attention

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_02]: to activities that produce value for you and your clients.

[00:05:15] [SPEAKER_02]: If you are ineffective, you're paying for their time,

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_02]: but their attention may be mostly wasted.

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_02]: Very successful people are ones who can leverage the attention

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_02]: of thousands of employees and clients to contribute tremendous value to their company

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER_02]: and subsequently give value back in the form of wages for employees

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_02]: and useful products for clients.

[00:05:36] [SPEAKER_02]: But your own attention is the only attention you have direct control over,

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_02]: so focus on that first.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_02]: First, I'll explore the idea of cultivating the attention of others in a future post.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_02]: Remember, attention is more valuable than time,

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_02]: and time is more valuable than money.

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_02]: Surely you wouldn't toss around your money like it didn't matter,

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_02]: so keep your eye on where your attention is going.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_02]: Try this.

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_02]: Frequently ask yourself,

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_02]: where is my attention right now?

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Where was it before right now?

[00:06:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Where's the best place to put my attention right now?

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I think you'll find that very often it's been captured by something

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_02]: that isn't doing you any good,

[00:06:15] [SPEAKER_02]: like an irrelevant train of thought or some other distraction.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_02]: Attention loss is a serious habit that affects us all,

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_02]: but asking those simple questions

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_02]: begins to steer us in a much more effective direction.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_02]: You just listened to part two of the post titled

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_02]: The Only Resource More Precious Than Time

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_02]: by David Cain of raptitude.com,

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you again to David.

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_02]: There's something a little deeper here

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_02]: that I think is worth mentioning.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_02]: In yesterday's episode,

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_02]: he talked about time and obligation,

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_02]: that we're constantly trying to free up our time,

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_02]: which he argues isn't really free since we use all of it.

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Seems like everyone is on this hunt for more free time.

[00:07:03] [SPEAKER_02]: If only we could win the lottery,

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_02]: then we could have all the free time in the world

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_02]: and be happy, right?

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think so.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_02]: I think free time in itself is not at all what we want.

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_02]: It's empty.

[00:07:16] [SPEAKER_02]: It's boring.

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_02]: And that might be obvious.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_02]: It's what we do with that time.

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_02]: We want the freedom to choose.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_02]: But I think it's an important distinction

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_02]: because having too much free time or downtime

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_02]: can lead to overthinking and self-absorption,

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_02]: which can then lead to many different issues

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_02]: from anxiety to depression and more.

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_02]: The attention that he talks about goes inward too much.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_02]: Instead, if we're using that free time for good things,

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_02]: like taking care of ourselves,

[00:07:47] [SPEAKER_02]: maybe exercising, playing, meditating,

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_02]: spending time with people we enjoy,

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_02]: then it becomes helpful.

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_02]: And note that we're probably not thinking too much

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_02]: and dwelling during those times.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_02]: We're staying active,

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_02]: keeping our minds on the positive tasks at hand.

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a slightly different take here,

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_02]: but pretty much the same conclusion.

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_02]: So a nice one to think about.

[00:08:09] [SPEAKER_02]: Hope it helps you on your journey.

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_02]: And thank you for being here with me on this journey.

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_02]: It means a lot.

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_02]: And if you know someone

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_02]: that might want to go on this journey with us together,

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_02]: please do share the show with them.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a huge help.

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_02]: Have a great rest of your day and night,

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_02]: and I'll see you tomorrow as usual.

[00:08:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Where your optimal life awaits.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Where your optimal life awaits.