Pay Attention!
I’M GOING TO JUMP UP ON MY ROGUE SOAP BOX…
And offer an opinion that just might be in the minority. From my vantage point, I see a whole bunch of people wandering about their lives and not paying attention to what they’re doing. But before I get into more specifics, let me share where I’m coming from.
Playing sports gives athletes a distinct advantage in life, because each practice and game tests their ability to focus. On the gridiron, the offensive players have to find their quarterback’s voice and focus only on his words. On the diamond, the hitter has to quiet his internal noise and focus on the pitch being hurled in his direction. On the court, the shooter must concentrate on his free throw technique while fans under the hoop wave towels and other such distractions. On the mat, the grappler must impose his will without depending on any teammates.
Can you imagine what would happen if the wide receiver, instead of looking at the quarterback, was facing the near sideline? Or if the pitcher was, mid-delivery, staring at a girl in the stands? Or if during a crucial timeout, instead of listening to her coach's instructions, the basketball player was watching highlights on the scoreboard? Or if during a scramble, the wrestler started noticing a match happening on an adjacent mat? None of those situations should ever happen. Athletes are expected to pay attention to what’s happening in the present moment.
Now, as much as I would like to believe that life and sport are interchangeable, the reality is that they are not. Even amongst athletes, there are those that can focus better than others. But for the sake of this writing, my hope is to reach a broad audience; to unite the focusers and the non-focusers; to come to a common understanding about how our habits influence our performance. Please, read on.
In 2020, our society has more access to quick information than it ever has before. Through our iPhones, we are a fingertip away from: text messaging, email, social media, news, weather, calendar, music, blah, blah, blah. We can (and do) run our entire lives through these pocket-sized mini-computers, but to quote the famous South Side philosopher Kanye West, “no man alive should have all that power.” Laws of physics explain that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so if the action is all that power in the palm of our hand, then what is the reaction?
The reaction is that our behavior has become predictable. It’s no secret that we’re glued to our phones. Phone beeps, we instinctively look at it. All day long. We look at them on the bus; we look at them walking around downtown; we look at them while we’re driving. We nervously look at them even when they don’t beep. I’m sure that Ivan Pavlov, from his grave, is laughing like the Joker because his experiments with salivating dogs are still applicable today. If aliens were watching us from outer space, they might ask themselves, “why are those human machines staring at those handheld machines?”
So, now that we have reviewed this information, what can we do about it? My first ask is to hold ourselves to a higher personal standard, and not reach for the phone every time it beeps. By recognizing that constant instant gratification is equivalent to empty calories, we can discipline ourselves to bring control back into our lives. Not every text, email, or Instagram message deserves our immediate attention. We do not need to be accessible 24 hours a day. We can choose to make other options the priority: personal relationships, self-care, mindfulness. The first step to solving a problem is to admit that a problem exists.
Second, I suggest that multitasking is bullshit. Having 8 separate text conversations while drinking coffee and driving to work is not the definition of efficiency; it’s the definition of distraction. Have you ever seen someone on a DIVY bike blow a four-way stop sign, and noticed that they were wearing headphones (so they couldn’t hear) and staring at their phones (so they couldn’t see)? Is it a smart idea to ride a bike through Chicago streets choosing to not see or hear? One pothole or equally distracted driver could lead to a serious injury. Is it worth it? Is it worth risking our lives or our personal safety because we have become too undisciplined to pay attention when we cross the street?
Finally, my third ask is that we better involve ourselves with what we’re doing. Instead of trying to film our workouts, just workout. Instead of taking pictures of our food, just eat. Be with the people you’re with, without using your phone as entertainment. Being present with our surroundings— away from screens and distractions —has become a lost art. Why? Are we so uncomfortable with ourselves that we turn to external rewards instead of internal fulfillment? Do we crave the “likes” on our social media posts more than we value inter and intrapersonal relationships? Are we scared to be without validation? Don’t believe me? Take a look around. Observe your surroundings. What percent of people have a screen jammed in their face? Those not on their phones are in the minority.
“Don’t go with the flow. Be the flow.”—Jay-Z