I Just Drank My Coffee Doing Nothing Else
When was the last time you did absolutely one thing at a moment?
Hey 👋
Today, I drank my coffee, doing absolutely nothing for a change, and it felt like a massive shift.
I usually sip through my black coffee while working, attending meetings, reading, or writing—always coupling it with another activity.
Today was different. I promised myself that I wouldn’t do anything other than enjoying the coffee. There was no music, no phone, no book, and not even any mental conversations. It was me enjoying and being present in that moment which felt so exciting.
It may come as a surprise to you, but we’ve all become master multi-taskers, and we boast about it. I felt proud about being able to manage so many at once, and I still do sometimes. However, if we keep switching from one thing to another without actually living in that moment, how are we different from machines?
It may be too soon to conclude, but I am speculating about how we’ll be learning about how to be human again in the future. Wow, this does sound like a great science fiction plot 😄 We’ll see.
Someone who talks a lot about productivity, this doing one thing at once came as a surprise. Because I used to be someone who would
Design while listening to music (music does help you get into a flow state)
Cook while listening to an audiobook or a podcast
Workout while watching The Office
Doodle while talking to a friend (it does help in concentration)
Check emails while eating (I no longer do it)
Paint while attending a webinar
Using my phone while talking to my mom (super guilty)
You get the point.
Some of it actually improved my productivity, but I wasn’t really conscious about it. It felt like I wasn’t really there. The repercussions started showing up when I’d forgotten what I had heard in the podcast interview or ask people to repeat them. It was embarrassing and dreadful.
So, I decided to challenge myself to do only one thing at once. I have been practicing it for the last few weeks, but I could only understand its impact today when I sipped my coffee without doing gazillion different things alongside.
It felt unusual, in a good way.
And I intend to do it more judiciously from now on.
When was the last time you felt that way?
Last Week’s Finds
Lesson of the week
Don’t try to control things. Let them flow.
Currently reading
A couple of friends mentioned the book Normal People by Irish author Sally Rooney. It sounded amusing, and I decided to give it a read. And I can’t keep it down.
Video of the week
I had no idea we could do so many things on Google Calendar until I watched this video. It was great to find, and I am excited to use those tips.
Quote of the Week
"This is your life and it's ending one moment at a time." -Chuck Palahniuk
Song of the Week
I love NPR Tiny Desk concerts. This one episode with Cigarettes After Sex was beautiful. It doesn’t really sound too different from their originals.
Creation of the Week
I did publish a few things last week, from creativity to relationship. I personally loved writing this poem about Never Associate A City With A Lover. This was the first time my sister liked what I wrote 😅 Let me know if you enjoy reading it.
You can also read my blog to find more pieces from me.
Somebody reached out to me last week from this email list and mentioned how they wait for this email, and it gave me some validation. I am totally against validations, but it feels good. I can’t deny 🙈
This is the only place where I truly share what I want to without thinking about the Algorithm God. I am happy you’re part of the community we’re trying to build here. If you have something to say, I’d love to hear from you (feedback, criticism, appreciation, be it anything).
Have a great experimenting and conscious week ahead. I will see you next Sunday!💃🏻
Love and light
Shreya