“Short Attention Spans”

One thing I often hear from non-golfers is: “I don’t play golf because it takes too long to play.  I just don’t have four or five hours to play a round”.   

After doing a little GTS (Googling That $hit) I find this point of view is supported by thousands of golfers around the world. A study commissioned just recently received over 56,000 responses from golfers representing 122 countries. Of those who responded, 60% said they would enjoy golf more if it didn’t take so much time out of their day.

I believe the time to actually play golf can even run longer than five hours if I take into account the time I need to add in for the drive to the course and the time I add to ensure I am not late for my tee time – I am probably now at six hours.

For me – that’s ok.  Golf is a great way to spend time with the people I love and make memories that can last a lifetime….not to mention playing golf with my significant other has made traveling a lot more fun as we have played some awesome courses around the world. (Check out the list of courses here!)

Not having enough time isn’t just with playing golf.  Routinely when I ask a friend how they are doing, more times than not, the response among most is crazy busy – even though many modern conveniences (e.g. washer/dryer, dishwasher, powered lawnmowers, better transporation, etc.) have significantly shaved hours off of daily tasks.

Perhaps it isn’t that golf takes too long too play, it’s more about the digital lifestyle that has made it difficult for us to stay focused. It seems in the digital age, where the news is limited to 140 characters and conversations take place in the form of emojis, our attention spans have shortened and it appears the ability to stay focus is now a superpower. 

Another study I came across while GTSing stated the digital lifestyle has made it difficult for us to stay focused, with the human attention span shortening from 12 seconds to eight seconds in more than a decade.

Humans now have less of an attention span than a goldfish (nine seconds average)! 

On a positive note, the researchers found the ability to multitask has significantly improved – Isn’t that wonderful!

As I continued to read this study it dawned on me that this may not be completely accurate.  I believe the eight-second study was not about attention spans, but rather about how long people tended to look at websites while browsing the web. 

What is really going on?  Is it possible our brains still work but are a bit stressed out?

 Here are my thoughts on Why we are So Busy Today:

1. Busyness as a badge of honor and trendy status symbol — or the glorification of busy — to show our importance, value, or self-worth in our fast-paced society
2. Busyness as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) — spending is shifting from buying things (“have it all”) to experiences (“do it all”), packing our calendars (and social media feeds with the “highlight reel of life”)
3. Busyness as a byproduct of the digital age — our 24/7 connected culture is blurring the line between life and work; promoting multitasking and never turning “off”
4. Busyness as escapism — from idleness and slowing down to face the tough questions in life (e.g. Maybe past emotional pain or deep questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?”)

For me, I’ve always wanted to do my best work. And, in the past, I’ve been completely willing to sacrifice my life to do my best work. I would put in crazy hours at work because I was a workaholic who was afraid to let things go and not do my best work for fear of failure or disappointment. But, at the same time, I was completely against busyness and trying to stop the madness. So, I participated in the busyness culture, but I was also a voice against it. Quite the dichotomy I might add.

And now I have even found myself wondering if my articles are too long for people to read!?! But you know what – I have decided that People are just too damn busy. 

My Reads from the Reds:  The pace of our lives mimics the pace of our hearts!  

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting.

Written by Kathy Festa