The value of unplugging and doing one thing at a time

We need to monitor ourselves and really learn to do one thing at a time.

For me there’s been a lot that I’ve had to do to actually maximize my own potential. When I was writing Mastermind I realized how Internet-addicted I was and I actually needed to install Freedom, an Internet blocking software, on my computer so that I wouldn’t go online.

It was really hard for me but eventually I was able to stay offline for four, five hours at a time. I turned my phone off because otherwise I’d be too tempted to check my Internet on the iPhone because unfortunately Freedom doesn’t yet block all your devices.

Now I don’t really need it nearly as often because I know I do it and I’ve already trained myself not to. It’s still nice once in a while.

I think we all need to give ourselves mental breaks and realize that the internet is wonderful but sometimes it’s good to just focus and not let those email notifications, those Twitter notifications — all those things that can just suck our attention — interfere.

In Their Own Words is recorded in Big Think’s studio.