Happy New Year, Friends!

This year, as an alternative to New Years Resolutions, I tried something new.

What often gets in the way of my goals isn't a certain challenge I'm facing, as much as distractions. So, I decided: what's really going to help is not what I add to my calendar but what I remove based on Selective Attention.

Selective Attention

Here is a breakdown of Selective Attention:

"Selective attention (SA) is the process of focusing on a particular object in the environment for a certain period of time. Attention is a limited resource, so selective attention allows us to tune out unimportant details and focus on what matters."

SA is the reason why when you buy a car, you begin to see it on the road.

SA is the reason two people go into a lecture/talk and walk out with different insights.

SA is the reason we can hold a conversation with one person while many conversations happening around us.

SA helps eliminate options to focus on what is truly important.

A simple way to leverage SA to help achieve important goals is coupled with another principle: 100% is easier than 98%.

Total Elimination / 100% > 98%

“It's easier to hold your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold them 98 percent of the time.” - Clayton Christensen

Rather then set a goal to go to the gym more or run more or work more, here are a few things I'm cutting from my life (saying NO to 100% of the time) in 2021.

• No to TV/Entertainment during the week (*including YouTube!)
• No to social media (outside of LinkedIn)
• No to my phone before 11 am
• No to work on the weekends
• No to new businesses (business ideas)
• No to shopping between M-F

Plus, I made a list of items that I will stop questioning by simplifying with a narrow filter. This list helps me quickly realize my options are finite. Why? Well, in a world of ever-increasing options, eliminating hundreds of options and only allowing a few means less time deciding on trivial or menial tasks. Here is my current list:

• Only eat at 5 restaurants (If I'm out of town or with friends, I obviously can eat somewhere else)
• Read one book a week
• Church at 830am on Sunday
• Haircut every two weeks

And I will probably continue to audit my weekly schedule and see where I spend my time and discover if other things need to either be eliminating or filtered.

Tuning out the noise

Some of these may seem trivial (ab0ve) but I've noticed I spend an exorbitant amount of time thinking: Should I cut my hair this week or next week? Should I eat here or there? Should I eat at home or out? Should I attend the 830am or 10 am or 11 am service?

For instance, just by eliminating 95% of the options of restaurants to eat, I've simplified & given myself so much freedom in my decision making.

I know, you may think: doesn't that mean you won't experience new things that you may end up loving? YES! There will be things I miss but that is why they call it JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out), instead of FOMO (the fear of missing out).

By cutting something out completely or limiting the options, I've already created space to think differently, to think freely, to be more present.

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.” — Warren Buffett

Takeaway Questions

What items can you completely eliminate from your day-to-day that would free you up to focus on what's most important? And, what items do you spend an exorbitant amount of time trying to decide daily/weekly/monthly (like choosing where to eat, what to eat, how to structure your day, what to buy) that can be limited or removed?

My favorite finds this week

• Quote about Inner Peace:

The person who has found inner peace can no longer be intimidated, controlled, manipulated, or programmed. In this state, we are invulnerable to the threats of the world and have, therefore, mastered earthly life. - Hawkins, David R. from Letting Go

All in,

David

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By David Iskander

I'm David, a search specialist, and beginner YouTuber from Orange County, CA. My motto is: Whatever you do, do it beautifully. I enjoy making YouTube videos about website design, tech, productivity, and faith.