I am in the beginning stages of creating the habit of being present with one thing at a time. I notice a peacefulness and a feeling of alignment in being able to give my full attention to just the task at hand. I enjoy the chance to have uninterrupted thoughts, without switching gears minute by minute.
The biggest interruption is my phone. I allow it to boss me around. Some of my most peaceful days happen when I leave it in another room while busy with something else. The phone, with all of its sounds and banners, has turned everything into urgent.
Most of the time, for me, the major stress is having too much going on at once. Maybe I’m working on something important, then I think about a “thing” I wanted to look up. Oh, let’s turn the TV on, I better check my email, then a message or a phone call… Where did I leave my water? And then back to the work at hand — spending ten minutes trying to get back into it.
There was a time, in what now seems long ago, when friends would get together and be together — no scrolling, no interruptions. Long conversations over jigsaw puzzles, or sitting on a porch, enjoying the stillness as the sun lowered.
When I take ownership, I see that the phone isn’t the problem. I am the one who hasn’t set boundaries. I am the one not saying, “You can only come this far.” Even beyond the phone, I want it all — the tasks, the projects, the time, the connection — all at once. And then I find myself stressed and dissatisfied.
Good design includes the art of choosing — knowing what stays and what goes. Knowing how much negative space, how much breathing room, is enough. I can either make the choices and design my life, or let it just happen and become a collection of uncurated moments.
The things are just that — things. I am the one with the power of choice. I am learning to use it wisely, so that my attention goes where it matters most — and may each choice be an invitation to live more fully, noticing what matters in the day.
0 Comments