I don’t think so. I think it’s just that people are so used to being told what to do that they’re not paying attention to what’s going on around them. And that’s a good thing because it means that we’re going to be able to get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time than we would have otherwise. But that doesn’t mean that the people who are doing the most important work in the world aren’t also the ones who have the least attention span. It just means we have to find a way to make it easier for them to pay attention, and that means giving them the tools they need to focus on the things that matter most to them, rather than trying to convince them that everything else is just as important as what you’re doing. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try to persuade people, of course, but you should do it in ways that make them more likely to listen to you, not less likely. If you want to change people’s minds, then you’ve got to give them a reason to care about the stuff that matters most. For example, you can tell them why you care so much about a particular issue, or why they should care as much as you do about that issue. Or, if you have a compelling argument for why something is important, that argument can be used as an example of how to use the same argument in other areas of your life, so that other people can see how it applies to their own lives as well. The important thing is to show them how important it is for you to take care of yourself and your loved ones, even if it takes a little more time and effort than they might otherwise be willing to put into it. This isn’t just a matter of giving people the right tools to help them focus their attention on what matters, though that is a big part of the answer. What’s important is making sure that when they do get distracted, they have something to fall back on, something that gives them some sense of control over the situation. They should have some way of knowing that if they get too distracted they won’t lose track of what matters. In other words, it should be possible for people to know that their time is valuable and worth spending on something they care deeply about, without having to constantly remind them of that fact.
