THE ART OF DOING NOTHING
Discover more from Foolish Author by Chase Austin
THE ART OF DOING NOTHING
Do you know what to do when there is nothing to do?
Do you know what to do when there is nothing to do?
From the time I began college, the only thing I was taught was to excel in everything I did. Sometimes I did excel, sometimes I failed, but I was always doing something.
In this race to reach somewhere, I forgot one thing — How to ace nothingness? How to pass the time when there is nothing to do?
Back in the day, I knew exactly how to crack this code. Our summer vacations used to be more relaxed, perhaps more relaxed than we’d like them to be but that’s how they were. There would be days at a stretch when we had nothing to do. No activities. So we would come up with our own. We would draw squares and rectangles on the ground and then hop, skip and jump. We would play with street dogs, kick a football,
fly a kite, pluck flowers, or just paint. We knew how to deal with boredom.
As I grew older, I chose to forget that art. Becuase if you are not doing anything, you are wasting your life. That’s what everyone said.
But is it true?
Is it true that if I don’t do anything for a while, I’m wasting my life?
Now you might say, isn’t an idle mind a devil’s den? Maybe it is. But that’s a den we must learn to tame. We must learn how to conduct ourselves when we have nothing to do.
In countries like ours, being a star performer is not really a matter of choice. It is a necessity. There is fierce competition for every damn thing — from colleges to jobs to everything under the sun. If you aren’t ahead of the curve, then you’re left behind.
So we do all we can, all the time, to remain ahead of the curve. Our schedules are so packed that we don’t even have time to sit down with our family or with ourselves. We have planned things that would take more than 100 years to finish, and we are still filling our schedule with newer activities.
there is another aspect to it too. If everything is put in front of us in an organized structure, then we lose the capability to amuse ourselves.
Humans learn the best from experiencing things, and even studies say that boredom is a great teacher. It helps in our emotional development. It helps build a tolerance to less-than-ideal experiences, and most of you would agree that life is not perfect.
There are days that are bad. Most bosses are less than ideal. Same with relationships and circumstances. Boredom prepares us for those less-than-ideal experiences.
Life requires us to manage our frustrations and regulate our emotions when things aren’t going our way, and boredom is a great way to teach that skill. Boredom also helps us find value in our own experiences. Develop and expand our own worldview.
2. Boredom helps us strategize. Figure out ways to keep ourselves engaged and entertained.
3. Boredom helps us with problem-solving skills.
4- It makes us creative, and this is something that studies have proven over and over again. Boredom fosters imagination and creativity.
The human mind, when bored, comes up with things to do on its own. This is the time when we learn how to make optimum use of the resources around us.
And these are lessons that go a long way in life. Boredom teaches us to sit still, to be at peace, and daydream.
5. It also instills a sense of independence, and that’s very important because there will be times in our lives when we will be facing problems that no one can help us solve. There will be times when we will feel lonely, and for those times, we must learn how to manage on our own. How how to motivate ourselves.
These are life skills that boredom can teach.
I’m not saying don’t do anything or leave all your work and do nothing. I’m only making a case for a balance of activities and free time.
There are plenty of reasons why we should not be afraid of letting ourselves be bored.
it might be irritating and annoying at first, but eventually, we all find ways to keep ourselves occupied, and our creativity starts to flourish, and this journey can be life-changing.
A lot can be done when there’s nothing specific to do. That is a gift too.
I’d like to invite you to join me in my quest to provide you with the best tips, tricks and hacks to help you build your author career while keeping this newsletter free and independent.
If there was ever a time to join me in this quest, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers me to create more amazing content and sustain the future of this publication. Support this newsletter — it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. You can do either by buying me a cup of coffee. Thank you.
About Chase Austin
I have spent 10+ years writing stories and marketing them. I’ve failed and succeeded over the years, and these are some of my tidbits on how I started my author business, perfected marketing, and more.
Here you’ll find resources to help you kick more ass with your words. No fluff, only actionable tips, and tricks if you are looking to make a living through writing, or just use it as a side hustle.
Things I like: Long walks, Reading about anything and everything, Telling stories and chess.
Visit me at www.thechaseaustin.com. Want to say hi, email me at contact@thechaseaustin.com.