What I learnt by reading ‘Stillness Is The Key’ by Ryan Holiday
Alarm. 5. 5.15. 6.00. 6.15. 6.30. Snooze, snooze, snooze, snooze. Open eyes and immediately grab the phone. Scroll Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, news apps. Answer the siren call of your inbox. Realize you are late for work, drink some very hot coffee, grab whatever junk food available for breakfast and rush to work. You wonder why you already feel so tired and overwhelmed.
Even while working , you keep checking your phone at every ping and keep drinking copious amounts of coffee or tea. You lose your appetite or just eat more junk. End of day — ease anxiety and stress by Netflix, wine/beer and some more junk and pass out for the day, for four or five hours. Repeat cycle. Infinitely.
Add alt text
Is this you? I know this was me until very recently. Compare it to Sir Winston Churchill’s daily routine ( Sourced from Inc. Com- https://www.inc.com/melissa-chu/winston-churchills-lazy-strategy-to-getting-more-work-done.html).
7:30 a.m.: He awoke and remained in bed to eat his breakfast and read the newspapers. From his bed, he continued working, while dictating to the secretaries.
11:00 a.m.: He got out of bed to take a walk around the garden, then poured himself a whiskey and soda.
1:00 p.m.: Churchill joined guests and family for a multi-course lunch.
3:30 p.m.: He worked from his study, supervised the estate, or played board games with his wife.
5:00 p.m.: He took a nap for an hour and a half, a habit he had acquired while in Cuba. He claimed that naps allowed him to do a day and a half’s work in 24 hours.
6:30 p.m.: He woke, bathed, and prepared himself for dinner.
8:00 p.m.: Churchill had dinner with guests, where drinks and cigars accompanied the meal. Often they would stay up past midnight. Afterwards, Churchill would return to his study and work for an hour before bed.
This was the routine of the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII. Measured, focused, disciplined yet with lots of naps and quality time built-in for his family and his reading. He had mastered ‘the art of stillness’, as Ryan Holiday states in his fabulous book, ‘Stillness Is The Key’.
Add alt text
Nope. No need to quit your jobs to have a full life, one with quietness and focus built into it. Author Ryan Holiday just shows how the world-changers don’t do things in a hurry — they take out time to think, reflect, read, write, pursue hobbies, give family time and yet accomplish some of the biggest things in business, tech, politics, sports and other arenas. All because they have mastered that ‘stillness is the key’ to success, without burnout. And no, meditation is not necessarily needed for focus.
Add alt text
These are a few of the concepts I loved from the book — Ryan divides it into 3 sections — How to achieve stillness, balance and focus in your ‘Mind, Spirit and Body’. How to ‘Go Slow’ and do great work.
- Limit Your Inputs: Emails; phone pings; notifications; alerts; news; ads — you get the gist. We have our own personal CNN ticker running all day. Take some steps to limit your inputs — especially for 3–4 hours in the morning, when you wake up fresh. Dedicate that time to doing what is most important to you; your future; your career and your family. Napoleon famously delayed checking his mail for 3 days — so unnecessary crises would blow over, without needing him to intervene. Yes, I am talking to you — replying to every email in 30 seconds person.
Add alt text
2. Find A Hobby: Einstein loved playing the violin. Churchill loved painting and bricklaying. NBA champ Chris Bosh loves coding. Michelle Obama loves running. Meryl Streep loves knitting. A hobby helps your brain get passive time from your busy work — it relaxes, rejuvenates and helps you become calm and still again. Most great ideas have come to people when they were intently practising their hobbies.
3. Seek Solitude & Silence: Bill Gates famously takes a ‘Think Week’ retreat twice a year — when he moves to a cabin in the woods — reading books, papers by Microsoft employees, potential investment pitches — for 18 hours a day. He claims that this practice gives him time to think about the next big ideas that can change the world.
Add alt text
4. Think ‘Enough’: There is an anecdote in the book about Tiger Woods and the rigid, almost brutal training he went through with his dad as a coach. He drove him harder and harder and their safe word was ‘Enough’ — If Tiger Woods would say ‘Enough’, his dad would stop pushing him. He never said the word. This anger and drive for excellence at all costs led to his ultimate addictions and downfall from the world of golf. This is why thinking that we have ‘enough’ in our lives already can be a good measure of focus and happiness.
5. Get Sleep: Another scary story in the book is of Ariana Huffington, who had collapsed at her desk due to overwork and lack of sleep. We have so much to do, so much to watch, so much to hustle about, so many shows to catch up on — most of us rarely sleep more than 4 -5 hours a night. Less sleep = less clarity and focus. Avoid this mistake. One thing that worked for me was a wind-up time — I start shutting down all devices and curl up with a book at least 30 minutes before I go to sleep.
Add alt text
6. Build Relationships: The current COVID situation has shown us all — ‘We are not our jobs’. Especially if our jobs cease to exist in a lockdown. It is our family and friends who have kept us sane and happy and supported us through this difficult, confusing time. So the next time, take that call from your mother, even if you have 75 more slides to create for tomorrow’s presentation. Take out time to build and nurture the relationships that will stay with you even if your career doesn’t.
7. Say No: I still struggle with this. Identify what is important work and what is simply urgent or extra to your routine. Guard your attention and time more than you guard your valuables. Say no — gently and politely but stay firm. Say no to all those tiny little things that take up your time and attention without helping you complete your most important tasks.
8. Build A Routine: And stick to it. Simple but effective.
9. Get Rid Of Your Stuff: “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” — Ryan says it is the same with things. More stuff, more cleaning, more maintenance, more cost, more money, more decisions. Don’t buy the next useless thing just to feel that dopamine rush.
10. Let Go & Move On To The Next Thing: As the Beatles’ say, ‘Let It Be’. Sometimes, mistakes lead us to the right path. Tired of uploading YouTube videos for every weekend of the year? Take a break. Move on to something new. It may give you new ideas. It will definitely give you peace of mind.
I hope this was helpful in some teeny, tiny way. How do you build focus in your life? What are your ‘stillness’ practices? Share in the comments. Till next week, ‘Go slow’ and be happy.
About The Author:
Hi There! This is Annesha — love going by the name Annie. I am the ‘Queen of the Nerds’. Communications creator and content marketer by day at MoneyTap.
YouTuber on weekends. Love reading, watching TV series and discussing why Benedict Cumberbatch and biriyani are classics. Have developed great pseudo stalking skills on Linkedin. DM and share what else you want Anniecast to cover in my next episode.
Click on the social links to follow my content.
YouTube: AskAnnie
Linkedin: Annesha Dutta
Medium: Annesha
Instagram: askannie.in
“Be Yourself. Everyone else is already taken” — Oscar Wilde.
