To be honest, I haven’t yet read these books. On my shelf are two recent books on the matter: Digital Minimalist by Cal Newport and Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday. My challenge to you this week: Set aside 15 minutes sometime this week to have some quiet, undistracted, alone time. ![]() The CCN is an externally oriented brain network consisting of. And over time this lack of solitude - “Solitude Deprivation” - can be a serious issue that can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. Download scientific diagram Undistracted awareness and effortless doing as basic. Though we may be physically alone, we are distracted and are not alone with our own thoughts - we’re scrolling other people’s thoughts, stories, inputs, ideas, opinions, etc.Īnd so, if our moments of down time are filled with inboxes and social media, then we’re never actually being alone. Why?īecause checking Twitter does not qualify as quiet alone time. And this habit robs us of any quiet alone time. The Just Checks is about the habit of checking our inboxes: Twitter, Instagram, Email, Facebook, et al.Īnd the problem behind the The Just Checks is that they rob us of our ability to focus and do deep work (by training our brains to resort to inboxes when we are bored, or challenged). But if either of those are tools that can help you, then by all means you should take advantage of them.īack in 2014 I recorded a podcast and wrote an article about something I call “The Just Checks”. Now, of course, you don’t need an Apple Watch or a meditation app in order to set aside and have some quite, undistracted alone time. I also like the Mind & Body workout type as a way to help me purposefully set aside 15 – 30 minutes of my day for some device-free, undistracted, quite alone time. If you read my article from yesterday, I shared about how to have an Apple Watch recovery day by using the Mind & Body workout type on the Apple Watch.Īnd, as I hinted at in that article, there is additional reason I like the Mind & Body workout type beyond using it as a recovery day workout. (Even as someone who is 100% on the extrovert scale.) I have long been a proponent and practitioner of regular, quiet, alone time - it is something that has (mostly) been part of my normal day for more than 20 years. One of the biggest roadblocks in my personal and professional life is that I am easily distracted.A few days ago Mike Schmitz wrote our pick on The Sweet Setup for the best meditation app. Whether it be a task, a person or a new opportunity, I find it difficult to remain focused. Because of this, I sometimes stray and my otherwise disciplined self ends up lost for a day, a week or sometimes longer. Calm, focused, undistracted, the linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in and dole out information in short. I have 3 techniques I use to help with this problem.ġ) Rule Your Email. If you let it, your email will dominate your life. It will be a leash around your neck rather than a tool for your life and business. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.When we see quotes like this, I believe we typically think about the people in our lives that brought us love and comfort. Turn off email notifications on your phone. I saw a post on FB today it said:We don’t meet people by accident. No, you do not need to check it every five minutes. No, you do not even need to check it throughout the day. This one change in habit will truly free your mind and schedule up, and allow you to focus on what is really important.Ģ) Manage Your Thoughts. Regularly I think, “I have a good idea for (fill in the blank).” The problem is that typically I get these ideas when I am suppose to be working on something else. ![]() Have you ever been at work and remembered, “Hey, I need to finish that project at home.” Or have you ever been at home and thought, “Oh, I need to add this to that talk I’m about to give at work.” We all do. The important thing is to have a system to capture these important ideas and thoughts. I recommend using Evernote and David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology. ![]() Whether it be a task, an idea or an opportunity, using GTD and Evernote allows me to record these random thoughts and move on with what I have previously decided to be working on at that moment.ģ) Retreat Quarterly. One of the most important techniques I’ve added to my productivity repertoire is a Quarterly Offsite. This gives me an opportunity to rest, relax and recharge. It also allows me to look at my vision and my goals and make sure I am staying on track. Most importantly, during this time, I evaluate my schedule, my personal development plan and my relationships with organizations and individuals.
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