Mindful Mondays #17: Undistracted Edition
Finding focus, eliminating decisions, and a poem about February
Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Mindful Mondays.
For anyone trying to create something worthwhile—or even just live a good life—in our modern world, distraction is the most insidious foe we will face.
It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with watching another cat video on YouTube.
What I’m talking about is when we allow the noise around us to take us away from the things that really matter: our families and significant relationships, our most important work, our ability to be present with ourselves.
This is why cultivating mindfulness, as well as clarity about our core values, is so essential.
This isn’t about never getting distracted. In fact, mindfulness is mostly about noticing when we are distracted, and consciously choosing to refocus on what’s most important in that moment.
This week, I’m sharing a couple of articles that reflect that theme. And I’ll leave you with a question to reflect on:
What would you need to do differently in your life in order to focus on the things that really matter to you?
Articles of Interest
Finding the One Decision That Removes 100 Decisions: In this blog post from 2020, Tim Ferriss talks about why he decided to stop reading books in the same year they are published. Key point: If you want more clarity in your life or business, “look for single decisions that remove hundreds or thousands of other decisions.” Question: what decision could you make in your own life that would have a similar effect?
Pliny the Younger on Happy and Honorable Seclusion: Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and A World Without Email, shares an excerpt from a letter by the ancient writer, showing that even in 100 AD, creators still struggled with distraction and found solace in places where they could read, write, and take walks in peace.
Some criticism of Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep: Last week, I shared a podcast interview featuring Dr. Matthew Walker, professor at UC Berkeley and author of Why We Sleep. In this article, Alexey Guzey fact-checks the first chapter of WWS and shows that, among other things, Walker left off part of a bar graph that didn’t support his conclusions. Hat tip to a reader for sharing this with me.
Poet’s Corner
Winter. Time to eat fat and watch hockey. In the pewter mornings, the cat, a black fur sausage with yellow Houdini eyes, jumps up on the bed and tries to get onto my head. It’s his way of telling whether or not I’m dead.
From “February” by Margaret Atwood. Full poem at Poetry Foundation.
Quote of the Week
“It's not the lack of intelligence, it's the lack of focus that is stopping you.”
—Prof. Richard Feynman
That’s all for this week. As always, I welcome your feedback on Mindful Mondays. What was your favorite thing I shared this week? Got an interesting article or podcast episode you’d like to share with me? Let me know by replying to this email, commenting on Substack, or hitting me up on Twitter.
Thank you,
Chris Cordry, LMFT
PS: Want to level up your mindfulness, clear away distractions, and focus on what really matters in your life? Reply to this email to ask me about 1:1 coaching.
PPS: If you’re not already subcribed to Mindful Mondays, enter your email address below to get my latest writing delivered straight to your inbox:
And if you enjoyed reading this week’s edition, why not share it with a friend? Personal recommendations are still the best way for me to grow my audience and share the benefits of mindfulness with the world.
I love the variety of perspectives you’ve brought this week on mindfulness.