{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"284. Curiosity Management","description":"Do you ever feel like you don\u2019t have the time and energy to learn about everything you want to know? Is it hard to stay focused on reading one book, when there\u2019s ten others you want to read? You need curiosity management. Curiosity management is the management of your thirst to know things. In a world with unlimited access to information, and finite time and energy, it\u2019s impossible to read every book, watch every documentary, or take every online course. Unmanaged curiosity leads to \u201ccuriosity pressure\u201d This leads to a feeling of \u201ccuriosity pressure.\u201d Curiosity pressure is the feeling you\u2019ll never learn all the things you want to learn. When you\u2019re under time pressure \u2013 curiosity pressure\u2019s close cousin \u2013 and feel you don\u2019t have enough time to do everything, your anxiety makes it hard to do one thing. When you\u2019re under curiosity pressure and feel you can\u2019t learn everything, your anxiety makes it hard to learn one thing. A good curiosity-management system matches your level of curiosity with an appropriate level of engagement with the topic, given your available time and energy. The downward spiral of poor retention, & feelings of inadequacy A day in the life of a curious mind looks like this: Think of thing you want to learn about, such as the chemical processes behind making soap. Instantly go to Wikipedia. Follow every link and every footnote. Regain consciousness four hours later, with one-hundred tabs open, and no recollection of what you\u2019ve consumed. Inexplicably, one of the tabs is about the Lorena Bobbitt scandal. Feel bad that you got nothing done, and didn\u2019t learn much either. Surplus curiosity When you don\u2019t satisfy your curiosity, despite doing the activities of investigation \u2013 such as reading or watching videos \u2013 you\u2019re overcome with \u201csurplus curiosity.\u201d Surplus curiosity is a feeling you should always be investigating more topics. The anxiety and inadequacy you feel from not satisfying your curiosity cause you to be curious about even more things. This drives a downward spiral: You feel bad for not knowing all you want to know, you want to know more things, but poorly managing your curiosity makes it impossible to satisfy your natural curiosities, much less your surplus curiosities. The goal of curiosity management: Learn just enough, and remember it You\u2019re not going to stop being curious. Your curiosity is a good thing. But if you can manage your curiosity, you can remember more of what you consume and reduce curiosity pressure. If you successfully reduce curiosity pressure, you\u2019ll reduce the anxiety and feelings of inadequacy that actually drive some surplus curiosity. The fundamental error: All-or-nothing curiosity The fundamental error most curious minds make is they want to learn everything about a topic the moment they become curious about it. Instead of spending five minutes perusing the Wikipedia page, they watch the four-hour documentary. Instead of reading the book summary, they try to read the whole book. This drives the downward cycle: At some point, the media they\u2019re engaged with calls for more time and energy than their actual curiosity for the topic merits. This causes fatigue and frustration. Yet there are still so many things they want to learn about, and feelings of anxiety and inadequacy flare up. The most immediate solution seems to be to read more, watch more, consume more \u2013 surplus curiosity. Yet little of it is absorbed, and the original curiosity that began the cycle is only vaguely satisfied. The right engagement for the level of curiosity To engage appropriately with what you\u2019re curious about, first assess the level of curiosity. There are three: Compulsory curiosity is a feeling that you should know about this. Like, \u201cWhat is this TikTok thing about?\u201d Cursory curiosity is a feeling you\u2019d like to know something about this topic. Like, \u201cWhat is Marie Curie\u2019s story?\u201d Compulsive curiosity is a driving obsession to learn everything you can about a topic. If you need an example, you don\u2019t need curiosity management. Of course, as you learn about topics, your level of curiosity may progress. You try TikTok a few minutes and are intrigued. You read the Marie Curie Wikipedia page, and want to learn much more. Your compulsive curiosity may be more intense for one topic than another, or change from day to day. Three basic components of curiosity management The main mechanism behind curiosity management is categorizing topics about which you\u2019re curious according to the level of curiosity, and engaging with those topics only to the point that your curiosity is either satisfied, or further aroused (with some exceptions). I propose four components to a good modern curiosity-management system: A rule: Never consume information upon first encountering it: (With one exception, coming up.) Take only a quick glance to assess your level of curiosity about the information, and the informations\u2019 potential for satisfying that curiosity. Then put it in the appropriate place, for later processing. Keep a \u201ccrumb-time\u201d list: Your crumb-time list has things about which you have either compulsory or cursory curiosity, with a simple action that will satisfy that level of curiosity. Use your crumb-time list during \u201ccrumb-time\u201d \u2013 those little pockets of time of indefinite shape and size with which you normally do unproductive activities such as check social media or play Wordle. An example list item would be: \u201cWatch a YouTube video on the chemical processes behind making soap.\u201d Deep curiosity time blocks: Have regular time blocks for deep investigation about things that have reached the level of compulsive curiosity. Give yourself time to read books, and watch documentaries. \u201dCheat\u201d pockets: Freewheeling engagement with your curiosity is fun. If you never allow yourself to open a hundred tabs on your browser again, you\u2019ll do it anyway and drive the downward spiral. Much like some diets allow a \u201ccheat day,\u201d a good curiosity-management system has pockets of time during which you allow yourself to be at the whim of your curiosity. It might be Friday afternoons, or fifteen minutes after lunch \u2013 so long as you\u2019re actually able to prevent yourself from slipping into internet-induced comas. Using your curiosity-management system That\u2019s the basic structure of a curiosity-management system, now, some examples of how to use it. A topic comes to mind that you\u2019d like to learn about, such as Soviet dekulakization. Don\u2019t stop what you\u2019re doing or suppress your curiosity. Put it on your crumb-time list to look at later. You have a few minutes while waiting for an appointment to start \u2013 aka \u201ccrumb-time.\u201d Open your crumb-time list on your phone, and find a topic that fits the time and energy you have available, and your level of interest. Do a quick search, or visit a link you\u2019ve already saved. If your curiosity is satisfied, move it to a \u201cdone\u201d section of your crumb-time list. If you\u2019ve become more curious, move it to a \u201csecond-level\u201d section, to investigate more, later. If you\u2019re intensely curious and have time available within your deep-curiosity blocks, you may graduate to buying a book. You see a link you want to investigate, while investigating something else on your crumb-time list. Open it in another tab and give it a quick glance. If you\u2019re interested in learning more, put it on your crumb-time list. Close the tab, then get back to the original article. Note-taking supports curiosity management You\u2019ll better satisfy your curiosity if you don\u2019t forget what you\u2019ve just learned. So, a note-taking system, such as a zettelkasten, supports a curiosity-management system. Take notes even on items for which you have merely compulsory or cursory curiosity. Don\u2019t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. You don\u2019t even have to take perfect notes. You\u2019ve just invested time and energy in learning about this topic, so you\u2019ll never remember more than you do right now. Jot down a few of the things you remember. It could be as simple and informal as \u201csaponification uses a strong base to break apart fat molecules and make soap.\u201d Start managing your curiosity Those are my initial thoughts on curiosity management \u2013 why it matters, what it consists of, and how to construct a system for managing your curiosity. There are of course many details and inner workings I didn\u2019t include, or that would vary from one person to another. Do you find this idea useful? Say hello on Twitter, or email me. Image: Red Waistcoat by Paul Klee About Your Host, David Kadavy David Kadavy is author of Mind Management, Not Time Management, The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers. Through the Love Your Work podcast, his Love Mondays newsletter, and self-publishing coaching David helps you make it as a creative. Follow David on: Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube Subscribe to Love Your Work Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Stitcher YouTube RSS Email Support the show on Patreon Put your money where your mind is. Patreon lets you support independent creators like me. Support now on Patreon \u00bb       Show notes: http:\/\/kadavy.net\/blog\/posts\/curiosity-management\/ ","author_name":"Love Your Work","author_url":"http:\/\/kadavy.net\/blog\/archive\/love-your-work\/","html":"