4 ms·

"Focus is the new IQ" is the best expression I've seen of this. I'm lucky to have the gift of focus, and to know other people who also have it. I know I'm on

"Focus is the new IQ" is the best expression I've seen of this. I'm lucky to have the gift of focus, and to know other people who also have it. I know I'm on the right track when I'm asked: * "You did that yourself?" * "How did you do that?" * "How is that possible?" One person with deep focus can change everything. Nikolai Tesla is the ultimate example of this - he made the modern world. My secrets? My only social media is HN, and I use a stick phone.

s3tz 7y ago
A simple test for people is to get used to working 3 hours straight without any distractions. Give it a try. You can get a whole day's work done this way.
- asjw 7y ago
  This! It's what I've been doing in the past few years, nobody noticed that I stay at work a lot less than the others and the quality of my work has improved
  - bsanr 7y ago
    This would be nice, if most workplaces valued efficiency. They don't, especially at the low end. Instead, they'd rather have face-time, regardless of how productive that time is. It's literally in the nature of the pay structure.
    - TeMPOraL 7y ago
      Depending on the specifics of the work, in our industry, demand for butt-in-seat time + high focus = work done + a lot of time to do your own private stuff. Devil is in the details, but this is implicitly accepted in a lot of places as long as you complete your actual work on time, because part of the reason companies want your butt in your seat for fixed amount of time per day is availability - if something suddenly happens, they want you to be there to take care of it. They do derive value from just having you in the office.
      - bsanr 7y ago
        "Do your own stuff when you've finished your assigned tasks" is dicey for a couple of reasons: 1) You could be in a position where the work "never" ends. For sure, there are a reasonable number of tasks expected to be done at the end of the day, working some fraction of the day's butt-in-seat time; and when they're done, the business runs smoothly. However, recognizing this, businesses will add tasks that could be automated or designed away (e.g., answering the same inane help-desk tickets, which pile up constantly), because they "help" to secure an employee's "engagement" when they'd otherwise be free to study, optimize their performance, or simply socialize. If you're seen doing any of these, rather than the assigned tasks, you'll be docked. 2) It's difficult to bounce between tasks, including from your work-work to your personal work and back again. This is a sure-fire recipe for not being able to maintain, or even cultivate, focus. To add insult to injury, workers are often dealing with a scenario where "availability" is required of them to mask inefficiencies in the business' management or administration. This task could be done remotely, that one could be automated, a third could be grouped with a fourth if someone twisted arms to get the necessary data earlier (as has proven possible on days before a holiday). Allocating the 2 or 3 hours of the day not spent directly on work tasks would then be possible, but not when they're spread out over the course of an 8+ hour day in 10 minute chunks, or eaten up by busy work. "Hurry up and wait" is a productivity-killer.
    - susijdjdjxa 7y ago
      In my experience nobody can tell what you’re doing at your desk (even if they can see the screen over your shoulder). So you can get face-time while learning for your own benefit.
newnewpdro 7y ago
> I use a stick phone. What is a stick phone? I presume you're not referring to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlestick_telephone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlestick_telephone
- theIV 7y ago
  I think they might be referring to what some call the candybar form factor. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_(mobile_phones)#Bar https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_(mobile_phones)#...
  - celticmusic 7y ago
    Are you able to buy a reasonably modern version of these that comes with GPS? Literally the only things I use my phone for is calls, SMS, GPS, and eeeeeeevery great once in a while I'll google something at the store. I'd love something like this, but it would really have to have GPS on it.
    - redis_mlc 7y ago
      No GPS, wifi or usable camera, but older phones have techniques for map location using the cell phone signal.
- kqr2 7y ago
  I'm guessing he's using a feature phone, aka non-smart phone.
- DonHopkins 7y ago
  A candlestick telephone that you can connect with your smartphone: http://iseedeadpixels.nl/?soho_portfolio=bluetooth-candlestick-phone http://iseedeadpixels.nl/?soho_portfolio=bluetooth-candlesti...
edejong 7y ago
Funny thing is that Tesla made a lot of interesting inventions and discoveries, but was barely able to keep the focus to bring them to fruition. He had his lab busy with widely different experiments, oftentimes conflicting, leading to huge setbacks. Tesla is the prime example of a great mind with bad social skills and too many things juggling at the same time.
- redis_mlc 7y ago
  That's not even wrong. He got to do exactly what he wanted for most of his career, which was research, live in the Waldorf, and his patents were the foundation of Westinghouse. Ever look at a power substation and see all those Buck Rogers-looking transformers? Those are his original designs. Besides AC electricity generation and transmission, he also patented wireless remote control and was one of the earliest pioneers in radio. Niagara Falls hydro generation was his idea, and nobody understood what he was doing until the on switch was thrown. Had he wanted to be a businessman, he could have done that at any time. I'm glad he chose the inventor path.
  - edejong 7y ago
    He was a great inventor, yes. But the results of all his efforts, in mathematics and engineering were fruitless for him. He died in debt, a disillusioned man. And why? Perhaps a good biography of the man will enlighten you.
  - dang 7y ago
    > That's not even wrong. Can you please edit swipey tropes like that out of your posts here? They lead to ill will and poison the well. The rest of your comment is just fine without that first sentence. This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

s3tz 7y ago

A simple test for people is to get used to working 3 hours straight without any distractions. Give it a try. You can get a whole day's work done this way.

asjw 7y ago
This! It's what I've been doing in the past few years, nobody noticed that I stay at work a lot less than the others and the quality of my work has improved
- bsanr 7y ago
  This would be nice, if most workplaces valued efficiency. They don't, especially at the low end. Instead, they'd rather have face-time, regardless of how productive that time is. It's literally in the nature of the pay structure.
  - TeMPOraL 7y ago
    Depending on the specifics of the work, in our industry, demand for butt-in-seat time + high focus = work done + a lot of time to do your own private stuff. Devil is in the details, but this is implicitly accepted in a lot of places as long as you complete your actual work on time, because part of the reason companies want your butt in your seat for fixed amount of time per day is availability - if something suddenly happens, they want you to be there to take care of it. They do derive value from just having you in the office.
    - bsanr 7y ago
      "Do your own stuff when you've finished your assigned tasks" is dicey for a couple of reasons: 1) You could be in a position where the work "never" ends. For sure, there are a reasonable number of tasks expected to be done at the end of the day, working some fraction of the day's butt-in-seat time; and when they're done, the business runs smoothly. However, recognizing this, businesses will add tasks that could be automated or designed away (e.g., answering the same inane help-desk tickets, which pile up constantly), because they "help" to secure an employee's "engagement" when they'd otherwise be free to study, optimize their performance, or simply socialize. If you're seen doing any of these, rather than the assigned tasks, you'll be docked. 2) It's difficult to bounce between tasks, including from your work-work to your personal work and back again. This is a sure-fire recipe for not being able to maintain, or even cultivate, focus. To add insult to injury, workers are often dealing with a scenario where "availability" is required of them to mask inefficiencies in the business' management or administration. This task could be done remotely, that one could be automated, a third could be grouped with a fourth if someone twisted arms to get the necessary data earlier (as has proven possible on days before a holiday). Allocating the 2 or 3 hours of the day not spent directly on work tasks would then be possible, but not when they're spread out over the course of an 8+ hour day in 10 minute chunks, or eaten up by busy work. "Hurry up and wait" is a productivity-killer.
  - susijdjdjxa 7y ago
    In my experience nobody can tell what you’re doing at your desk (even if they can see the screen over your shoulder). So you can get face-time while learning for your own benefit.

newnewpdro 7y ago

> I use a stick phone. What is a stick phone? I presume you're not referring to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlestick_telephone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlestick_telephone

theIV 7y ago
I think they might be referring to what some call the candybar form factor. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_(mobile_phones)#Bar https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_(mobile_phones)#...
- celticmusic 7y ago
  Are you able to buy a reasonably modern version of these that comes with GPS? Literally the only things I use my phone for is calls, SMS, GPS, and eeeeeeevery great once in a while I'll google something at the store. I'd love something like this, but it would really have to have GPS on it.
  - redis_mlc 7y ago
    No GPS, wifi or usable camera, but older phones have techniques for map location using the cell phone signal.
kqr2 7y ago
I'm guessing he's using a feature phone, aka non-smart phone.
DonHopkins 7y ago
A candlestick telephone that you can connect with your smartphone: http://iseedeadpixels.nl/?soho_portfolio=bluetooth-candlestick-phone http://iseedeadpixels.nl/?soho_portfolio=bluetooth-candlesti...

edejong 7y ago

Funny thing is that Tesla made a lot of interesting inventions and discoveries, but was barely able to keep the focus to bring them to fruition. He had his lab busy with widely different experiments, oftentimes conflicting, leading to huge setbacks. Tesla is the prime example of a great mind with bad social skills and too many things juggling at the same time.

redis_mlc 7y ago
That's not even wrong. He got to do exactly what he wanted for most of his career, which was research, live in the Waldorf, and his patents were the foundation of Westinghouse. Ever look at a power substation and see all those Buck Rogers-looking transformers? Those are his original designs. Besides AC electricity generation and transmission, he also patented wireless remote control and was one of the earliest pioneers in radio. Niagara Falls hydro generation was his idea, and nobody understood what he was doing until the on switch was thrown. Had he wanted to be a businessman, he could have done that at any time. I'm glad he chose the inventor path.
- edejong 7y ago
  He was a great inventor, yes. But the results of all his efforts, in mathematics and engineering were fruitless for him. He died in debt, a disillusioned man. And why? Perhaps a good biography of the man will enlighten you.
- dang 7y ago
  > That's not even wrong. Can you please edit swipey tropes like that out of your posts here? They lead to ill will and poison the well. The rest of your comment is just fine without that first sentence. This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html