MORE IMPORTANT THAN TIME AND MONEY? I LEARNED THE NEW ANSWER.
This line stopped me in my tracks. It may stop your scroll as well.?
“Our attention is our life. What we choose to pay attention to shapes our sense of who we are and what is true in the world.”??
This came from a favorite podcast of mine (link here, s/o Derek Thompson) and it got my wheels turning; perhaps you'll offer fourteen more seconds of your attention as well.?
It's not about how much time we spend on something, but rather how focused and engaged we are during that time. Quality attention leads to deeper understanding, creativity, and innovation.
Here’s the thing: through the right connections, proximity/circumstance or pure luck, you can get time with people.
It is far tougher to earn their attention.
Proof is attention is harder to achieve than time/money: People will fill out a ten minute survey for the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, but it definitely doesn’t guarantee attention. They rush through questions, sacrificing thought and accuracy.?
Time can be donated (“Sure, I’ll take the meeting”), but attention is always earned. Our brains are remarkably capable of appearing to be active listeners while we migrate our attention elsewhere.?
So, it stands to reason that the people that are better at deciding where to use their time and when to pay attention will have a big advantage over their peers in life - in and out of work.?
It’s true in my field as well: marketing communications. Brands can buy time anywhere now.? YouTube, TikTok, Netflix - these are all ad-supported platforms. The pinnacle is when you can earn attention.