Focus and Concentration
Gaming in short bursts sucks. Pursuing creativity in short bursts does, too. Studies show it takes the brain between five and twenty-five minutes to fully engage in an activity. To this point, trying to tackle a problem in small slices of time is inefficient because you always have to ease into the task. In this episode I’m exploring the importance of focus and concentration in accomplishing goals.
This episode represents a change in the podcast format. I’m trying to weave commonality into the otherwise random topics we’re discussing – namely, gaming and gaming culture. Let me know your thoughts on the update!
Topic References

* Welcome! A quick update on the new show format (00:57)
* Focus and concentration and the context of our discussion (02:23)
* The importance of uninterrupted time in modern, immersive games (07:18)
* Limitations of the brain in achieving total concentration; easing-in (09:04)
* Solving problem capabilities when you’re in “the zone” (14:25)
* Parallels between extended gaming sessions and the creative pursuits (15:34)
* Inspiration is weird; there’s no need to ramp up when a great idea comes from nowhere (23:16)
* Being productive in short bursts of time by picking appropriate tasks (27:50)
* Opening up for feedback and closing (29:52)

References

* The Science Behind Concentration, a high-level blog post from Sandglaz
* Interesting article from the New York Times on distraction, concentration and the book Rapt, by Winifred Gallagher
* “Where do Your Ideas Come From?” Neil Gaiman talking about inspiration, video on YouTube