Attention

Throughout our days and lives, we cast our attention from one place to the next. We can be easily seduced by shiny objects, creating shallow, fleeting focus. But we can also find depth in meaningful relationships and work. Nonetheless, what we pay attention to becomes a reflection of who we are. Attention shapes our experience, and our experience shapes our reality. To create our best reality, therefore, we must work backwards, starting with where we place our attention.

But how do we map where our attention is allocated? Calendars are a “time map” of sorts, but they don’t capture the whole picture. They plot how we intend to place our time, but life doesn’t often go to plan. Besides, calendars don’t account for the depth of our engagement.

Imagine a more nuanced map—one that accounts for both time and intensity of attention.

This is assuming, of course, that we could measure exactly where our mind wanders, for how long, and how deep. But it’s a useful framework for thinking about how to live our best lives.

The intersection of attention’s intensity and time fundamentally shapes our lived experience. In fact, our most valuable resource might be “Attention-Time.” We should be strategic about how we spend it—investing in the activities and relationships most meaningful to us. There is only so much of it in a lifetime after all.

The philosopher William James once said, “Our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, either by choice or default.” So spend your mindful minutes intentionally or they will be spent for you.