Industry Magazine Get JACK'D Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 23

cave long enough for their fear-of-missing-out to subside and their digital withdrawals to relent are deeply rewarded. Most of us not only don’t want to do this but we actually say it’s bad for us. Two-thirds of men and one-quarter of women would prefer to experience an electric shock rather than spend fifteen minutes in silence or solitude. But the truth is that access is the enemy of ingenuity. Since most people today are passively going the way of distraction, the few who wake up to the gravity of the situation, learn how to quiet the world, enter the cave, and take control of their attention will see their value in the marketplace multiplied. The key to the cave? You must be unreachable. You’re familiar with Murphy’s Law, right? It states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. This applies especially to your attention. If anyone can interrupt you, they will. And the easier it is to reach you, the less likely the interruption will be important. How do you keep distractions away? Let’s get practical. You Need To Create Physical Barriers Keep Your Door Closed A good cave is going to be a place where you can physically separate yourself from your peers. It should have walls or barriers that keep you from co-workers, friends, family, and maybe even the occasional enemy. Hang Up Your “Do Not Disturb” Sign Buy yourself a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Hang it on your door and you’ll watch the unnecessary interruptions come to a screeching halt. Invest in a Pair of Noise-Canceling Headphones Some of us don’t have the luxury of a personal office. Maybe you share an office, maybe you work in one of those monstrosities known as an open office, or maybe your office walls are just paper thin. Noise-canceling headphones are a great alternative for less than ideal circumstances such as these. Physically isolating yourself is the first step, but it isn’t enough. You may be away from your peers, but your phone and laptop keep you at arm’s length to almost everyone in the world. You’ve put up walls of defense around your attention, but your phone is a Trojan horse. It never really had to break down walls to get to you. It entices you until you invite it inside, but at any moment, it will drop a band of attention- hungry soldiers who will pillage your mind and thwart your plans. Keep the Trojan horse out! You Need To Create Virtual