We used to be left alone.
In our warehouses, our farms, and even our businesses, we were left alone to tinker, to work, to rest when we had to.
We may have had less “productivity” but our critical thinking skills and sense of control were there. You could pick yourself up by your own bootstraps, and make something happen.
These days, your attention is pulled in a million directions. Check that e-mail. Pull that IM. Answer that call. Go to Meeting. By the end of the day, your energy is low, you have a plate of to-do’s and it feels like nothing was done.
Because nothing was done.
One of the most important lessons one can learn is the power of guided silence.
That silence gives you a chance to sit with your work, look at an outline, and begin to make something worth while. It is guided by preparation and a goal.
At first it is odd to turn off all those notifications, but once you focus, a world of creativity opens up. From that creativity, you can start doing meaningful work.
You might even start leaving on time too.
Further Reading:
From the desk of Adam Thomas 