Adam's Notes

Share this post

šŸ“ How to be distracted

adamming.substack.com

šŸ“ How to be distracted

A tool for focus.

Adam Ming
Apr 9, 2022
1
Share this post

šŸ“ How to be distracted

adamming.substack.com

Last week I wrote about distraction being a place we go to escape:

Adam's Notes
What Distractions Are
PARADIGM SHIFT: The overarching point is that what we think of as ā€œdistractionsā€, aren’t the ultimate causes of us being distracted. They’re the places we go to seek relief from the discomfort of confronting limitation. - Oliver Burkman, Four Thousand Weeks…
Read more
a year ago Ā· 5 likes Ā· Adam Ming

šŸ“Today instead of forcing myself to be distraction free, I allowed myself one distraction:

On a new notepad page, I wrote the title focus pad. Whenever I felt the urge to stray from my work I allowed myself to be distracted with this focus pad.

Each 2 hour work section, I started a new page. A fresh new place to go to be distracted, or capture my distractions.

I had a very productive day with four two hour sessions of deep work (normally I manage 2 a day) and spend the rest of my studio time in shallow work, so the focus pad has doubled my deep work output!

I’ll try it for a week and let you know how it goes.

Before you go,

I’ve a couple of quick things to share:

One of the members of my critique group; Chantell Holt has started a newsletter; and if you like this thing; I’m sure you’ll enjoy hers too; here’s a sample:

Chantelle’s Studio
Why I advocate drawing TYRES!?!
Here’s one of my recent characters… Timmy does train impressions on his nose flute! About a month ago, drawing that recorder would have been a nightmare. I would have spent 20 minutes trying to find a recorder at exactly the right angle to pop into his left nostril. But no more…
Read more
a year ago Ā· 1 like Ā· Chantelle Holt

Chantell is also starting a book club, for aspiring children’s writers. It might be worth while mentioning that she’s also an English Lit Lecturer; if you’re interested in joining the book club; DM her on IG.

chantelleholt
A post shared by Chantelle Mari Holt (@chantelleholt)

Lastly if you like the newsletter I hope you’ll consider the subscription; it will let me spend a little more time refining it. (I’m sure there’s a button somewhere to do that)

If you are subscribed; Thank you; I hope you’re enjoying the daily sketchbook prompts, I hope to collect them into a book one day :)

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Adam's Notes to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Previous
Next
Ā© 2023 Adam Ming
Privacy āˆ™ Terms āˆ™ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
SubstackĀ is the home for great writing