It is most infuriating. I open my phone to send an email because something important popped up in my mind. And then I see a message from someone that grabs me by the collar and I dive into it. Minutes later I am blank. Unable to remember what I picked up my phone to do.
I am reading a book and something interesting catches my fancy and I want to know more. I open my phone to google about it. A missed call alert jolts me into action. Damn, how did I not hear my phone? I try and call the person back. There is no answer. I now try and remember why I picked up my phone and I am just staring at a blank screen. Cannot for the life of me remember what I was wanting to do. Ah yes, I wanted to google something. What was it now? I go back to the book which has shut and I have lost the page I was on. Another attempt to connect the dots. Which chapter was I on? What was I searching for again?
Again and again, in the last few months, I find myself darting between things. Trying to remember. Trying to learn more. Read more. Connect with more people. Do more. And then it dawns on me. Maybe I have too many tabs open. Maybe my attention is split between too many things. Time to close a few and go deep. It’s good to thrash about on the surface for a while. Explore new spaces. Ride a few waves. And then find a spot that looks inviting and dive deep in. The stillness is calling.
The stillness of depth. The stillness of really knowing something so well that it becomes second nature. This is the stillness that brings with it a sense of calm. The stillness of strength. The stillness of being in flow state. The stillness of knowing that I am enough. The stillness of knowing that there is enough for all. The stillness of curiosity. The stillness of the observer. The stillness at the centre, that unleashes a whirlwind of activity around it. This stillness has a magnetic power that keeps things in balance. The stillness offers others an opportunity to draw energy from it and find an insight that can galvanise action.
As the financial year draws to a close and the dawn of 2023-24 breaks into my horizon, I feel the need to refocus. The clearer I am about what matters to me, the less distracted I become. Close a few tabs. Delete some apps. There is freedom to be found in having my attention focussed on a few things and then exploring them wholeheartedly and without distraction.
Less is more and I want more of less. What do you need to do less of? What do you need to do more of? What is calling your attention as you head into the new year? What do you want to be in service of? Who do you want to be?
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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