Becoming uber-focused

One big thing I often struggle with is staying focused, especially on the task at hand. Often when I'm working on some code, or watching TV or even just brushing my teeth for example, there's a part of my brain that's screaming out for some other form of entertainment. I don't think this is an ADHD thing (I've at least not been diagnosed), I think this is an issue a lot of people are dealing with right now. We have so many things vying for our attention, and with short form content or shows and films you can absentmindedly have on in the background, we've become addicted to content, which is very well put together in this video. I recently read Deep Work by Cal Newport in the hopes that some of the lessons from it would help me to stay focused on work. Newport is also a software developer so I was certain that a lot of what he had to say would be applicable to me. SHortly after finishing it I saw that he would be a guest on the Modern Wisdom podcast where he would talk more about staying focused and also, importantly to me, about AI.

As someone who has built a career in software development, AI is very much on the mind. I have heard a lot of conflicting thoughts about how it'll be used and what it means for software development. Just recently I got a newsletter from Mj DeMarco, author of The Millionaire Fastlane, talking about how AI now allows everyone to code and it's no longer only for 'code-slingers' as he referred to them. These statements do scare me as I like 'slinging code'. I want to be a software developer. It's a job I enjoy. I like writing code, I like working with computers, it's a very good role for me. I only wish I'd realised that earlier. But if statements like that are true, what does that mean for me? What does it mean for my future job prospects? It's a concern a lot of software developers are having right now.

Fortunately, there's a lot who are saying differently. I often see comments from developers on Reddit or on YouTube talking about the issues with AI development, issues I've seen first hand. I have had to go in and fix code that was written by AI. ANd a lot of people point out that AI doesn't really think, but it just copies what other humans are saying. One tweet I've seen from someone apparently at Google stating how Claude Code built something in an hour what took a team of human developers a year to build, but one of the top comments replying pointing out that the AI was only able to build that code in an hour because a team of developers had already built it. It would seem that many point out that problem solving is not one of AI's strong suits.

So that brings me back to Cal Newport. When I listened to him on the Modern Wisdom podcast, I was hoping to hear something optimistic about where software developers fit in in this world of AI, and he did. His prediction was that his lessons on Deep Work would be more important than ever and that those that are able to get into a flow state of work would be the ones that are needed and therefore successful. He also stated that getting into that flow state is something that can be practised, which is very important for me to hear.

I've managed to make improvements to my ability to get into a flow state. I've worked hard to make sure that I've cut out as many distractions as possible. I keep my tablet in a separate room so I'm less inclined to stick some nonsense YouTube video on on it while I work. I can't get rid of my phone as I am currently in a situation where I need to take phone calls, but I move it onto a shelf behind me so that I have to physically turn around to pick it up.

One way I've been practicing this is with TV. Often it can be so easy to stick on some show I want to watch, but end up scrolling through my phone anyway. So I'm trying to make conscious effort to stop that and actually finish the shows I start, similar to how I've been with video games. I started watching Shogun ages ago when it first came out but it fell by the wayside. Now I'm close to finishing it and I've been able to stay focused on it. But that's made easier by the fact that much of the show is understandably in Japanese and I have to look at the screen to read the subtitles. One show that is much easier to sometimes lose focus on is StarGate. I love StarGate, I love the film and I started watching SG-1 on Netflix when my family first got it. Now it's been added back, and also Amazon have announced they're making abrand new series. So now when I watch an episode (often just one episode in the afternoon) I try to make a conscious effort to not pick up my phone, even in the awkward moments I cringe to watch. I've also mentioned before that I have been watching X-Men: The Animated Series. I watch that in my living room. My tablet has been left in the bedroom and my phone has been left in the study. I have no choice but to focus on it, and I enjoy it and appreciate it a lot more.

With all that practise I've found that I'm able to focus more on what needs to be done or the one thing I'm participating in. Just before I started writing this, I stuck a song on to listen to. As I had it on, I found myself drawn to play solitaire on my phone as I often am when all I'm really doing is listening. But I stopped myself. I realised that I should focus on the song, that I should appreciate it more and actively pay attention to it.

The flow state is something you can practise. I know I will continue to do my best. I won't always be successful, there will be failures, but my hope is that it can be achieved and from that, further success.