When you read to learn, choose topics that interest you. This makes a significant difference in your reading experience.

If you’re currently transitioning your team to SCRUM, read books about SCRUM. If you’re trying to create more technical documentation, read books on that topic.

If you’re already a productivity expert, don’t bother reading books about productivity.

Read to solve a current problem. You’ll be much more interested and will absorb the information like a sponge.

Taking it a step further, you don’t have to read entire books! Read chapters that are relevant to you right now. Save the rest for later.

I’ve never been one to journal much, at least not in the “deep reflection” approach where I would write pages about what’s on my mind every day.

Interstitial Journaling

The journaling technique I started doing naturally is Interstitial Journaling, which is a log of my day as it happens.

I especially use Interstitial Journaling while I’m working. It has a couple of benefits (that may not apply to everyone): 1) At the end of the day, I know what I worked on and when, so I can enter the time in my timesheet. 2) I can copy these notes and run them through Microsoft Copilot to generate a nice, bulleted summary of each project I worked on and what tasks I completed. I then paste that into my daily update that each of us sends over Microsoft Teams every workday.

Plus Minus Next Journaling

The other technique that I started just this week is Plus Minus Next Journaling. It allows me to note what went well the previous week, what didn’t, and then list any changes I want to make in the next week. I feel like this could be a great technique to reflect and plan without being too complex.

Reflect

I’ve been using the Reflect notes app for both techniques. The Daily Notes in Reflect are perfect for Interstitial Journaling, and for the Plus Minus Next, I created a template that I can add to my daily note each week.

I have a habit of ruining my experience with an app I enjoy using by slowly trying to make it do things it was not meant to do.

I think I’m getting better at reminding myself of this before I get myself in trouble.

Still a long way to go.

I’m losing my ability to read deeply and understand what I’m reading, and I’m not alone.

I used to be able to sit with a book for hours at a time, fully immersed. I’d put the book down and still think about what I read, processing it and making connections. This led to a deeper understanding of the material and a longer-term recollection.

Today, we’re so consumed by digital email, chats, TikTok, social media, short blog posts, video clips, and other forms of consumption that are meant to be short and quick - in and out. The content is designed to keep us engaged.

There must be a connection between today’s method of consumption and the ability to read and think deeply.

I struggle to read a book with information I want to understand. My mind is jumping around to other things. I can’t focus enough to comprehend what I read. I even read the prior text and don’t recall it. I have to read a paragraph over and over to understand it.

The book is too difficult to read because it requires more direct attention, the opposite of other material I consume. My mind is no longer wired in a way that provides me with the focus I need.

This is concerning.

Oddly enough, it doesn’t apply to everything. I often become fully engaged when writing code and building software solutions. It may take a few minutes to get going, but once I do, I can be so completely engrossed in my work that it requires someone shaking my shoulder to get my attention.

Do the books need to be more attractive to grab my attention in the same way as writing code? Is it because I’m creating and not consuming?

Today’s books are written differently. Old books are denser, with complicated words, paragraphs, and less fluff. Today’s books are more straightforward, full of short stories, and tend only to skim the material’s surface. All of this is to keep the reader engaged. [@wolfReaderComeHome2018]

Fortunately, if I had the abilities in the past and slowly lost them over time, it could be reversed. Right?

My next steps sound simple enough but will be challenging to execute. Reduce the short, mind-numbing consumption and replace it with more time spent with evergreen material that forces me to slow down and think. This should help rebuild the muscle of deep reading and thinking.

What does this problem mean for my children? How will they solve the world’s problems if they can’t sit with something for over 20 minutes?

I created a Working Memory file that I’ll use throughout the day. I learned this from Cal Newport, although I’m sure he didn’t invent the idea.

The idea is to have a single text file open all day that you use to write all of your notes, today’s tasks, etc. Similar to a Daily Note available in some applications, like Roam Research, Logseq, or Obsidian, except this file persists from day to day.

I clean up the file daily, move tasks to my task system, and save important notes into my note application. My Working Memory file also has a list of active projects with the current status that I keep up to date, as well as a short list of things I want to remember.

The purpose is not to jump in and out of applications all day, which is one of my struggles.

I’m on Windows (for work), and Notepad was too basic; I tried iAWriter, but while I like writing with Markdown, I don’t want to see the Markdown. Now, I’m trying Typora, which uses Markdown, but with a live preview.

So far, I love this approach. It keeps everything within easy reach and forces me to review every day.

As we all know, staring at a screen causes eye strain. When you do this too long and too often, your eyes may not recover. This eye strain is often called computer vision syndrome (CVS) and can cause headaches, fatigue, dry eyes, and long-term damage.

What is the 20–20–20 Rule?

Every 20 minutes you spend using a screen, look away at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 20 feet for 20 seconds is the optimal distance and time to allow your eyes to relax.

How to do it

• Set a timer for 20 minutes.
• When the timer goes off, look away from your screen and at something for 20 seconds.
• Repeat.

What can we do for 20 seconds?

20 seconds is not very long. But there are some healthy things we can do during this time.

• Continue thinking about what you are working on without losing focus. I’ve found that stepping away for a few seconds can help me think through a problem.
• Stretch your body.
• Do some burpees or something to get the blood flowing.
• Take a drink of water.
• A time check is helpful when you lose focus on a particular task. Are you spending too much time? Do you need to wrap things up?

Additional Reading

• Computers, Digital Devices, and Eye Strain
• Computer vision syndrome: a study of knowledge and practices in university students