Attention economy
Someone invited me for a virtual program at an inconvenient time for me and I hastely declined because I thought about what I should be doing at that period.
But when it got to that moment, I found myself busy with something way less important. In short, something I shouldn't be doing in the first place.
And it didn't make sense to me.
Our attention is being stolen from us.
When we don't want to do something or face a certain reality, the attention stealers get the most of us.
Think about the last time you didn't want to submit that report or write that article, how many more dishes did you wash or more hours spent rearranging or cleaning your office/room.
Get used to saying no without feeling guilty.
Saying no is not a crime. The guilt is part of what makes us give away our attention for free to the attention stealers hovering around.
Then we find our minds wondering away doing shit we probably don't want to just to justify the fact that we're busy.
Normalise having boundaries
People don't appreciate what is easily available.
If you want your time to mean much more and have so much value, then make each hour count.
Free time on your calendar does not necessarily mean wasted time.
It could be time for thinking, re-strategizing or even meaningful rest.
It doesn't mean people can easily snatch it away from you.
If you dedicate specific time only to share with people around you - you'd automatically gain more respect than being available all the time.
Take control of your attention
Be intentional about what you consume.
From who you follow online to what you read or watch during your free time.
Dedicate time to create.
Our mind and body flourishes when we build or create and not just consume mindlessly.
It's another day to create something that can impact the world and people around you