Today I'm talking to Leo Babauta about his new book, Focus – A simplicity manifesto in the Age of Distraction. Leo is offering a free version and a premium version of the book. The free version is loaded with tips and information you can put into practice immediately. With the premium version you receive the free ebook, how-to videos, audio interviews with experts and several bonus chapters.
In Leo's own words,"It's about finding simplicity in this Age of Distraction. It’s about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what’s important, to reflect, to find peace. Check out both the free version and premium version here.
The Bold Life:
Can you explain the process you used to write Focus and would you recommend it to others?
Leo: I wrote the book publicly by posting the drafts of chapters online and asking for feedback from readers. It was great — I would definitely recommend it. It allowed me to get instant feedback, to improve the book, and to stay motivated as I wrote. That solved the main problems that writers have as they tackle the writing of a book.
The Bold Life:
What is your best advice for a multitasker?
Leo: Give single-tasking a chance with a simple test: pick one important task, clear away distractions, and focus on that one task for 10 minutes without switching to another. See if it's effective. Test it several times. If the results are good, try to incorporate these small single-tasking bursts into your day.
The Bold Life:
That do you believe are the disadvantages of technology?
Leo: We have the tendency to let a good thing — this amazing tool that has revolutionized our lives — grow beyond usefulness into something that takes over our lives. Email is great, but it doesn't need to be something we do all day long. Same thing with Twitter, cell phone calls, text messaging, Facebook, blog reading, and so on.
We need to be more conscious about how we use technology, how big a part it plays in our lives. Otherwise, it can take us away from living in the present, from the real experiences and conversations that enrich our lives, and that's the tragedy.
The Bold Life:
Do you ever have a totally electronic free day?
Leo: Sure! They're amazing. I should probably do them more regularly, though.
The Bold Life:
How do you think technology and the desire to be plugged in 24/7 affects families, friends and community?
Leo: Technology can be a great thing for families, community — it can connect us, keep us in touch, help us collaborate and share. But if we're always connected to technology, we miss out on the other things out there — getting out into nature, being active, having face-to-face conversations, getting neighbors together in one place and the transformation that comes with that.
The Bold Life:
Do you have rules for your children about how much time they can spend online?
Leo: No. I'd like for my kids to learn how to manage their online time. When we dictate rules, they don't learn to figure out these problems for themselves. Instead, I try to talk to them, show them alternatives, set an example.
The Bold Life:
What are you reading right now?
Leo: The best-selling memoir, "Reading Lolita in Tehran". It's a fascinating look at the lives of women in Iran, at the power that literature can have on our lives, and at the role that culture and freedoms can play in shaping our lives, no matter what society we're in.
The Bold Life:
You’ve decided not to have an affiliate program for Focus, can you explain your reasons for that choice?
Leo: It's an experiment. I'd like to see people recommend the book to others based simply on liking the book, not on trying to get money from it. I'm grateful for affiliates of my past books, but I thought I'd see how this changes things.
The Bold Life:
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Leo: Every writer I've read has been a mentor to me: FL. Scott Fitzgerald, Plato, William Gibson, Jonathan Lethem, Stephen Covey, Thich Nhat Hanh, J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly, Steinbeck and Joyce and Shakespeare and Cervantes and Nabokov and Vonnegut and many more. Every book is a lesson in writing, a journey that teaches and humbles, and I'm grateful for each of them.
The Bold Life
What’s next after Focus or one goal for 2011?
Leo: I've given up goals, so I don't have anything I'm shooting for in 2011. I am just focusing on what I'm passionate about right now, and I'll see where that leads me. I'm guessing in 2011 I'll star in the movie Hollywood plans to make about my life, but I could be very wrong.
This is really cool. Thank you for interviewing Leo, Tess. And Leo, thank you for being interviewed!
I really enjoy the idea of focus…I especially like the idea of focusing on one thing at a time, and to actually pay attention to the thing we are focusing on. I think that too many times in our lives, we try to do several things at once, and we lose sight of the fact that we aren’t doing any of them very well. I think that the ability to slow down, and really pour our energy and attention into *one* thing at a time is underrated in our society. We should do it more often.
Especially in relationships. Not just romantic ones, but in ALL of our relationships, we should take time to really focus on the other person, to really listen to them, to give them our full attention. Most of the world is starving for that kind of attention, and they don’t even realize it until someone gives it to them, and they think: “Oh yeah. *that* is what I’ve been missing!” What a beautiful gift to give to those we love.
.-= Jay Schryer´s last post…Easy Like Sunday Morning =-.