Embrace Boredom

Embracing Boredom has been my motto and this aligns well with my overall theme of Thinking Simplicity which I wrote about last week.

I looked at boredom as a curse and always wanted to be tickled, simulated, patted on my back, excited, thrilled, or any other superlatives that one thinks of, As I reflect on it I was completely wrong. Most of my serendipity moments have arrived out of boredom.

I have now started enjoying my boredom.

What do I mean by that? What I mean is I follow the same routine day in and day out without looking for any novelty.

I will go for my run on the same loop and run at a pace that is so boring that if anyone looks at it he will quit after 3 loops. My son accompanies me on these runs and generally, his reaction has been I am not doing this anymore, as I am bored. I cannot get a better endorsement of this boredom than from my son, as children probably have the most pure and honest opinions. This boring routine of my runs has invited questions from my neighbors. They have been curious about why I do these runs regularly, or what I do for my living, or what motivates me for these runs, or do I not get bored of these loops. Since I have been doing it for more than 2 years now, I can say that I am sufficiently bored by these runs as they are so mundane that most would quit after 4 weeks. It lacks the thrill, excitement, and appreciation and there is no novelty in it. But what most would miss, this has helped me clear my mind. It has given me solutions to complex issues I may be dealing with personally or professionally. It has led to my clarity in thinking. It has given me many hacks that I have applied in my daily routine and I have started loving the boredom that comes with my mundane running routine.

I do block my calendar for 3 hours which is dedicated to writing. In this three-hour window, I do sit with my laptop and start scribbling as I am doing this right now and writing this article. I use a tool called Sprinter from Freewrite and I love this tool. It allows me to write distraction-free for a 15-minute window then I stare outside the window till I get another inspiration for a 15-minute sprint,

I have stopped seeking for any novelty in what I eat, what I read, where I go, whom I meet, where I run, whom I talk to, who I spend time with, where I travel, what I wear whom I listen to, what type of music I like.

it has been a revelation for me as to what boredom can do for me as I look back at it.

I have never been fitter than where I am today

I have never been clearer in thinking than today

I have never learned so much last 2 years as I have done in my entire life

i have never enjoyed my solitude more than today

Embrace the boredom. It will enrich your life more than you can ever imagine

it is impossible to get bored in today's world but if you are waiting for that one aha moment then try boredom.

Some examples of how we avoid boredom -

• We want to eat out as we look for novelty in food

• We look for new partners as we look for novelty in lust

• We travel to new places as we look for novelty in experiences

• We look to new clothes as we look for novelty in being admired

• We look to do impulsive buying to look for novelty

• We look for gurus (Rajnish, Ramdev, Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravishankar) as we look for novelty in spirituality

• We look for new theories about the market as we look for novelty in stock picking

• We look for new shiny toys as we look for novelty in features

• We chase new technology buzzwords as we look for novelty in approaches

We should start accepting Boredom as a luxury. It is not a punishment. It is the most beautiful thing that could happen to you.

Let me know your thoughts on how you enjoy your boredom.