Does it matter how we feel about tasks?
This episode is heavily influenced by a book called The Experience Machine by Andy Clark
Our brains’ predictions about things powerfully affect our experiences.
I’m going to argue that our thoughts about doing tasks powerfully affects both:
- our willingness/tendency to actually do them (vs. procrastinating)
- our experience while we are doing them
We’ll look at
- some practical consequences of those conclusions
- actionable steps toward greater productivity and peace
Background thought from me:
I’ve published this elsewhere, but I believe that:
- I experiment a lot on my own productivity
- Productivity is as least as important “at home” as “at work”
- I need to know in order to coach
- “work” should bring us joy
All of this means that I think a lot about how to actually produce work through performing tasks.
This thinking is based on my reading of “The Experience Machine” by Andy Clark
Former view of perception: top down, constructed from tiny bits into a whole experience
Newer view of perception: our brain predicts what we will perceive and then edits in the differences between that perception and reality.
How does this influence our willingness to engage with and complete a task?
Psychological components of procrastination
How prediction influences task engagement.
Is there a benefit to ‘practical’ positive thinking
At 17:20, yes, the book is The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser. Great read.
What does Christianity have to do with any of this?
Framing is about how we perceive the actions of others.
When we tell ourselves “I like this” or “I dislike this”, we’re framing our experience. That framing probably has a powerful influence on our perception of whether we actually dislike the task.
Example of self-talk in doing exercises that will help me get better at playing bass.
Takeaways – ideas for framing that should help us perform tasks
Avoid thinking about whether you “like” the task
“Get to” vs. “have to”
Work doesn’t have to be “painful” to be productive
Think about these ideas as you learn to think differently about your work and tasks.
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Happy to help you think about Attention Compass for your own knowledge work. Need more info? Go to dobusyright.com. Connect with me on Linked In linkedin.com/larrytribble. Or, shoot me a thought at [email protected].