The tragedy of the relentless pursuit of an “optimized life” is that it leaves little room for what comes unbidden, during our daydreaming and our downtime. With the rise of the “quantified self” in our digital culture, we may risk the extinction of something essential, mysterious, and life-changing.
This piece by Zat Rana for Business Insider discusses the experience of setting aside two-hours per week for reflective thinking. Discussing the habits of geniuses like Albert Einstein and and Charles Darwin, Rana details the experience of engaging in two zero-distraction hours for the sole purpose of engaging in some deeper questions. Some of these include:
- Am I excited to be doing what I’m doing or am I in aimless motion?
- What’s a small thing that will produce a disproportionate impact?
- What could probably go wrong in the next 6 months of my life?
The experience for Rana is profound. He writes in the article:
“I can quite honestly say that this is the highest return activity in my life. It forces me to balance the short-term with the long-term. I catch problem before they become problems, and I’ve stumbled onto efficiencies and ideas that I wouldn’t have come across otherwise.”
What might you discover by implementing this “2-hour rule” once per week? Read the entire article here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/i-created-a-2-hour-rule-based-einsteins-habits-2017-8
