Quoty: quotes tagged with 'concentration'

"We are how we read." Wolf worries that the sty...

"We are how we read." Wolf worries that the style of reading promoted by the Net, a style that puts "efficiency" and "immediacy" above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology, the printing press, made long and complex works of prose commonplace. When we read online, she says, we tend to become "mere decoders of information." Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged.

Author: Nicholas Carr, Source: http%3A//www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
Saved by richardkmiller in internet mind reading concentration

There isn�t a single great work in the history ...

There isn�t a single great work in the history of civilization, no novel, symphony, film, or song that was completed as a 1/5th time-slice between e-mail, IM, cellphones and television. Despite the modern drive to consume things made by others, time will always be our most finite resource and it crumbles when split into tiny little pieces. And it�s up to us to choose how much of life is spent passively (consuming, waiting, watching) vs. actively (thinking, debating, feeling, doing, making). Whatever we choose, when we die, we have no one to blame but ourselves for where our time, and attention, went.
Author: Scott Berkun, Source: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/51-attention-and-sex/
Saved by richardkmiller in work attention focus concentration time flow masterpiece

We become masters of our lives in the same way�...

We become masters of our lives in the same way�by focusing on first things first. We all have a pretty good idea of the most important decisions we need to make�decisions that will improve our lives and bring us greater happiness and peace. That is where we should start. That is where we should place our greatest effort.

Each night before I go to bed, I take out a small card and write a list of the things I need to do the next day in order of their priority.

When I arrive at the office in the morning, I check my card and put all my efforts into the first item on the list. When I accomplish that item, I move on to the second and so on. Some days, I finish every item on my list. On other days, some tasks are not completed. I don't become discouraged, however, because I'm focusing my energies on the things that matter most.
Author: Joseph B. Wirthlin, Source: http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-401-24,...
Saved by richardkmiller in focus concentration decision gtd priority

The older people think more slowly, but they ha...

The older people think more slowly, but they have a faster fluid intelligence, so they are better able to block out interruptions and choose what to focus on.
Author: Martin Westwell, Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/business/25multi.html?ex=133...
Saved by richardkmiller in focus concentration intelligence flow

I�m lucky enough to be able to block out a lot ...

I�m lucky enough to be able to block out a lot of distractions and interruptions, and to spend an unusually large fraction of my working life in a state of flow. To the extent that I�m able to get a decent amount of quality work done, I tend to cite long periods of focused concentration as the reason why.
Author: Jon Udell, Source: http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/04/25/multitasking-tradeoffs-ind...
Saved by richardkmiller in creation work creativity focus concentration flow

Flow requires a depth of thinking and a focus o...

Flow requires a depth of thinking and a focus of attention that all that context-switching prevents. Flow requires a challenging use of our knowledge and skills, and that's quite different from mindless tasks we can multitask (eating and watching tv, etc.) Flow means we need a certain amount of time to load our knowledge and skills into our brain RAM. And the more big or small interruptions we have, the less likely we are to ever get there.

And not only are we stopping ourselves from ever getting in flow, we're stopping ourselves from ever getting really good at something. From becoming experts. The brain scientists now tell us that becoming an expert is not a matter of being a prodigy, it's a matter of being able to focus.
Author: Kathy Sierra, Source: http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/...
Saved by richardkmiller in work mind genius focus concentration flow expert

Concentration is the secret of strength.

Concentration is the secret of strength.
Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Source: Unknown
Saved by cboyack in strength concentration

The best advice I ever came across on the subje...

The best advice I ever came across on the subject of concentration is: Wherever you are, be there. When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't mix the two.
Author: Jim Rohn, Source: Unknown
Saved by cboyack in work discipline play concentration