Scanning the Horizon

Picking up Signals that Matter

Photo by Marat Gilyadzinov on Unsplash

Many years ago, I was part of a team that ran a radar unit in the mountains of Cyprus, and remember the quiet clarity that came with being able to see what was around us and identify what was important. It’s a fond memory.

All these years later, the more I think we need some intelligent scanning system, some semi-permeable membrane, to monitor what we let into our attention today.

I have taken most of the supply chain measures I can; I declared social media “non grata” because even though there are good parts to it, the pollution surrounding it makes it unhealthy. I make sure I’m grounded before I look at my inbound - news streams, email, LinkedIn and make sure (as best I can) that my phone is on “airport” whilst I’m working. And yet, even with all that, it is easy to feel swamped. The screen is cluttered.

It’s clear that I’m still trying to do more than the capacity of my attention will cope with. There’s a form of calculus at work. If I pay atte…