Chapter 3: Flow
I had hoped that removing smartphones would help me achieve focus, especially on difficult tasks, while working. However, my work in tech meant sitting at a computer all day anyway, inevitably immersed in the online sources fragmenting my attention. I wanted to sustain Cal Newport’s idea of deep work but found it too grueling to sustain regularly. The psychology of flow offered a tantalizing promise of complete immersion without consciously being aware of distractions. I attempted to enter states of flow with documentation, but didn’t make much progress. I also explored parts of the brain that might be responsible for derailing my focus, such as the Default Mode Network (DMN) versus the Task Positive Network (TPN).
About Tom Johnson
I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my API documentation course if you're looking for more info about documenting APIs. Or see my posts on AI and AI course section for more on the latest in AI and tech comm.
If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the tech comm, be sure to subscribe to email updates below. You can also learn more about me or contact me. Finally, note that the opinions I express on my blog are my own points of view, not that of my employer.