Brian Johnson explains how small distractions create massive time losses, using an asteroid crater analogy. Gloria Mark's research shows it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after a distraction. Johnson argues you need to protect your attention on what actually matters.
23 minutes and 15 seconds.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one, wrapping up our fun tour through the brilliant life design system called Make Time, created by Jake Knapp and John Zyratsky. Let's talk about what they call time craters. Time craters. Yep. They tell us that when one of them was a kid, they went on a family vacation to Arizona where they visited one of the most epic craters in the world. The Smithsonian has a nice little 66 second video of this not so little crater. It's linked in the plus one. Get this. 50,000 years ago, when woolly mammoths and giant sloths roamed the region, an asteroid pummeled the Earth. Here's what's fascinating. The asteroid was only about 160ft wide, but the crater it created is 1 mile wide and over 500ft deep. If you feel so inspired, pause and imagine that for a moment. And again, consider watching that little clip for a visual. Then think about those little distraction indulgences you may allow into your life. When you could be in laser mode, know that those supposedly little distractions are creating much bigger time craters than you may be aware of. Here's how our trusted guides Jake and Jay Z put it. I quote, small distractions create much larger holes. In our day, we call these time craters. In one of our favorite studies ever, Gloria Mark of the University of California, Irvine, found that it takes people 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on task after a distraction. That's today's plus one. You may think that quick little trip down multitask lane and or whatever distraction pulls your attention away from what's important highway isn't a big deal. But remember the woolly mammoths and giant sloths and even bigger craters and get your laser back in focus on what's important now. Plus one, plus one, plus one, minus craters.
