In this day and age, it's so easy for us to keep occupied (or distracted).
Waiting is almost synonymous with checking your emails, Facebook or playing a game. With the advent of smartphones, we're now almost always connected to the world - plugged in.
I've noticed this for myself. Whenever I'm sitting down for a meal on my own I turn on YouTube or when I'm waiting for something I grab my phone. When I'm in the car I've got the radio on. There's always something occupying my attention.
It's not a surprise then that a lot of my best ideas come when I'm having a shower. I'm not occupied, it's an automated action now and my brain is free to create.
There's a lot of brain time that could be put to better use.
People say to me, "there's no way I could drive the two hours you do everyday in Auckland traffic". It's not a problem for me. I turn the radio off, sit in traffic and I get two hours a day of thinking time. I actually think it's a great use of my time!
I've taken on catching myself when I feel the urge to distract myself. It's actually amazing how attached I am to having the radio on. My brain must be a scary place.
So when I catch myself, I ask the question, "is this how I want to use my attention?"
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