#Productivity
This is for those of us who listen to music when working or studying.
Something I have experienced..
If your work needs a good amount of figuring out or making sense, a lot of focus or creativity, you might be better off sticking to listening to one song on loop rather than a playlist or random songs in sequence.
Why?
Single track on loop gives you the good feels (charging you up or calming you down or whatever else) constantly, while you focus on the work. A playlist on shuffle causes micro-distractions each time the track changes. This could cause you to get bored or tired with your work a little sooner than you wish.
And if we go with the premise that music affects mood, then depending on what all you have on your playlist, your mood, and therefore your productivity, will fluctuate a little or a lot.
What could you do instead?
In that moment, either pick a song that might be stuck in your head, or something that you think fits your mood in the moment. Something that suits the frame of mind you need. You might get more quality work done listening to that track on loop than you would with a playlist.
And when doing mundane tasks, including walking, running or biking; that is where playlists help. To keep the excitement and tempo up.
But this is also where I find David Goggins’ philosophy brilliant. On his long runs, he often goes without any music or similar distraction. That is when, after exhaustion hits, you are alone with your thoughts, and you can know yourself better. Without the easy-access distractions like music or podcasts.
