March 2016 | In defense of boredom
Yes, yes, yes, we all know we’re not supposed to multitask, but, as I’ve written before, we also all carry the siren song of our phones in our pockets, temptation incarnate right there, always accessible, always singing quietly to our subconscious: Did you get a new email? Perhaps a text? How many people liked your latest Facebook post? (I just want to know that someone out there is thinking about me every second of every day. Is that too much to ask?)
But we creatives cannot function this way. Our work deteriorates the moment we glance at our inbox, texts, or the Web. (Literally my phone just buzzed with two incoming text messages while I was crafting the prior sentences, and it is taking every ounce of concentration for me to continue writing this post without checking those messages.)
But why? Why should we give up our need for incessant shallow amusement? Well, for one, your IQ could drop by as much as 15 points each time you switch tasks. That’s a doozy. Can you really do your best work when so severely cognitively impaired? (The answer is no. Just in case you were wondering. But if you were wondering, perhaps you should question whether you’ve been multitasking to the detriment of your intelligence.)
"So, Meghan," you might ask, "what do I do about this? Give me the key to unlock my full cognitive potential!"
What you do is step away from the technology. Allow yourself to focus for stretches of time (and I’m not talking five minutes here or ten minutes there but, like, substantial stretches of time), and allow yourself to get bored, and most importantly, don’t switch to a new task until you’re completely done with the task you’re working on right now.
[Oh geez, my laptop just pinged to remind me about those two texts I’d ignored on my phone earlier. I mean, honestly, what is a girl to do when she wants to ignore texts? THE SIREN SONG IS STRONG. (For the record, I caved. I did it. I switched tasks, and now I’m cognitively impaired. Bah.)]
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EMBRACE BOREDOM
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DESIGNINGFOR THE THUMB ZONE
“Thumbs drive 75% of all phone interactions,” so when you place a button or menu on a screen layout, design with the thumb range in mind.
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USEFUL, USABLE, ENJOY-ABLE
Those are “the three essential, non-negotiable elements” of excellent UX design. Do you agree? (Seems like good advice for choosing any consumer product.)
I’ve only known one pre-crastinator (yes, this is a real term), and I’ve always envied her ability to start a project the moment it’s assigned and finish well in advance of its due date. But finally some research is showing the creative benefit of procrastinating, specifically that by allowing your subconscious to process a problem while you focus on other things, your mind creates novel solutions instead of finding the easiest answer. (That’s why this newsletter only comes out every three weeks; I want to make the most creative version possible. I procrastinate for YOU.)
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PROCRAST
INATORS ARE MORE CREATIVE
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WE KEEP GETTING LAZIER
The young folk are giving up cereal because it’s too much work to clean up after preparing and eating a bowl of cereal. (I still love eating cereal, but maybe it’s because my husband does the dishes; if he stops, Pop-Tarts for everyone!)
It’s best for our relationship that you keep it to yourself if you’re not a Harry Potter fan. Just FYI. If you ARE a fan, you’ll get a kick out of the new muggle IT guy’s Tumblr about working at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.