The more you value your time, the more selective you become with how you spend it. – Seneca
Reflection
You wouldn't leave a production server exposed.
Why secure everything but yourself?
Every ping, "Got a sec?" and quiet request pulls you from the work that matters.
Not all distractions are loud.
Some arrive dressed as urgency. Others pose as opportunities, but each one comes at a cost.
Attention isn't free. It's infrastructure.
If you don't protect it, others will route through it without permission or pause.
Your attention is not open source.
It is not a public API.
It is a private repo, written with intention, reviewed with clarity, and committed when ready.
The best developers aren't the most available. They stay aligned by protecting the space where depth begins.
Today's Insight
Saying no is not rejection.
It is how you preserve architecture.
Focus is your boundary.
Discipline is your firewall.
Action Steps
- Audit your inputs - Track every interruption today. What triggered it? Was it urgent or just familiar?
- Schedule deep work like a deployment - Set a clear start, define a scope, and make it known you're heads-down.
- Limit surface area - Choose one communication channel. Set fixed times to check it. Each extra channel expands your surface area and exposes more of your focus.
- Unsubscribe from the noise - Mute what doesn't matter. Leave channels you don't need. Decline meetings that dilute your focus. Fewer inputs, more substantial outcomes.
Consider This
Are you giving others more access to your attention than you'd allow in your systems? If not, the time to refactor is now.