How much does your attention earn you?

While people think time is the most valuable resource we have, it is not. Like money, it is how we use our time that matters, making the most valuable is our attention and where we direct it. It is why the attention economy is such a money spinner and why, there is such a high incentive on attracting attention, especially of the masses - and attract they have.

So much of what is consumed today offers little more than entertainment value and even the things that "used to matter" like politics, have been merged into the media to become another clickbait topic to drive the pay-per-click revenue models.

Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Netflix, news media... the list goes on. They are attention seekers looking to attract eyes and sink time to mine attention.

But, how we spend our attention is very important, and as said, it is just like money - we can waste it or we can generate from it. A university degree takes time and attention and we can use that useless piece of paper to earn a job and subsequent money. We could spend the same time sitting in front of a TV and earn nothing - to each their own.

However, a lot of people spend countless hours in consumptive behavior that brings so little value to their lives it is amazing, yet day in and out, they keep sinking more of their most valuable asset into non-generative activity. Scrolling feeds on Facebook, watching the same news story across 10 channels, getting outraged over some random Tweet - while we consume, what few seem to recognize is, it consumes us.

It not only consumes our time, but it bites chunks out of our potential, as we keep throwing good attention after bad, getting nothing of value in return, but feeling like we have accomplished something of note. The more we do it, the less creative we become, the less opportunity we have, the less we can do in our very limited lives.

But, we can use our attention in generative ways too, which means that we consume to add value, possibility and potential to our lives, by increasing our skillset, knowledge and our ability to use what we have in more effective ways, including our attention. When I try to talk to people about this, they often give the "I don't have time for that" statement, because they are too busy putting their attention into other things - like more entertainment, or even, getting a raise at work.

So, the question I asked a friend today was,

How much has your attention earned you?

It is an interesting question isn't it?

While value doesn't just include money, it is perhaps easier to evaluate. For example, I have been paying attention on Hive for almost five years and rather than using it solely as entertainment, I have fashioned my experience to fill many boxes. As a result, I have been able to build my account, a standing of some sort in the community, social capital and investment opportunities. It has taken more than a lot of work - it has taken an immense amount of my time and attention too. This is paid to whatever I consume and if I am lucky, there will be a positive gain on it.

TL:DR?

I am often accused of writing far too much, but for the people paying attention, they might just get some value out of what I write that 1000 Tweets might not deliver.

As an example, last night @leofinance write a long post on their upcoming developments.

Did you read it?

I did. Skimming first to see what it contained and based on that, moved some funds into CUB. This is attention getting paid and then decisions being made on what is learned. At the moment, the funds I moved are worth 47% more, twenty hours later. But, while it only took me a few minutes to read (and then more when I went back to get detail), attention had to be spent over the space of years to have the funds available to move into CUB, as well as plenty of attention paid to get the experience necessary to process the information and make decisions quickly.

How much have all the hours of Netflix earned you?

Ah - it may have earned you something if you took what you consumed and created it into something someone was willing to pay for, like a review - but, did you do that? Some did - because they were paying attention.

I find it ludicrous that people are so blasé about how they spend their attention, demanding nothing in return for what they pay. It is an insane trade and if I asked anyone to give me all of their wealth for nothing in return, they would never do it - yet, her they are, trading their life potential away in order to see what they neighbor had for lunch and read about a celebrity affair.

Worst trade ever.

There is no sell on that purchase, it is just all buy, buy, buy and own nothing. and the more that is consumed, the more likely consumption becomes an automatic response and this is evidenced by the fact that many people can't go to the toilet without their phone with them, though perhaps that is the best place to evacuate the majority of what people are consuming online.

I can't convince anyone to do any different in their lives, but I would urge everyone to consider where they place their attention, as everything comes with an opportunity cost and the cost of misplacing attention is incredibly high. It can literally cost us everything that we care for, if we aren't paying attention.

So I will ask again,

How much has your attention earned you?

Break it down a bit and think about the value you have been able to generate in your life based on where and how you spend your time. What does your attention Profit and Loss balance sheet look like over;

• The last 24 hours
• The last week
• The last month
• The last year
• The last five years

Now, pay attention and ask yourself how you are going to spend,

• The next 24 hours
• The next week
• The next month
• The next year
• The next five years

What are you going to do with your most valuable resource?

Most people are going to do exactly what they have been doing, regardless of the cost. So many people, have attention deficit disorders, not because they can't focus, but because what they focus on brings so little value to their lives. But, it doesn't mean it is all valueless, because the attention economy is booming.

Be careful where you sink your attention, as most of what is seeking to attract it, is going to be a *waste of your potential.

Taraz [ Gen1: Hive ]