Wild Geese 46. Let It Linger: Ritualized Note-Taking To Take Your Attention Back
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Feb 24, 2026 A meditation on using writing to reclaim attention and make focus pleasurable. It explores historical anxiety about distraction and the mechanics of the attention economy. Practical rituals are shared: carrying questions, note-taking, digital gardening, and a three-part daily writing practice. Literature and art are presented as tools to train presence and deepen sensory awareness.
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Attention Is A Way We Spend Time
- Time and attention are bound: we 'spend' time and 'pay' attention, so how we attend shapes our life.
- Anna reflects on languages that frame attention as lending, gifting, or doing, tying attention to finite time.
Attention Economy Versus Longstanding Worry
- While tech creates an attention economy that exploits focus, worry about distraction predates modern tech; the structural incentives are the new factor.
- Anna references Joe Stadelnyk and examples from Seneca to Chu Xi to show recurring anxiety about distractions.
Curate Your Attention By Choosing Formats
- Shape your media experience deliberately: reject creators or formats that scatter your attention and choose audio-only or different formats when needed.
- Anna explains she offers audio-only versions and curates on-screen text to invite deeper returns, not overwhelm.
