It’s February. No better time to take the headphones out, turn off the bluetooth in your car, and stop listening. No podcasts, music, TikToks, reels, any of it.
By “Stop listening!”, I mean be present in the… present and find time to let go of the endless content stream we’re plugged into.
Yes, I see the irony: you’re reading this, which is its own kind of listening. Give me two minutes, then put the phone down.
Photo by Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash
Listening rec:
Stop!
Spend time in your own head with your thoughts. Be uncomfortable. Take walks and hear the sound of the neighborhood. Say ‘hi!’ to those you pass on your way.
Lately, I have found the consumption of content overwhelming at times. Some days feeling as though I had listened to generated content more than the free flowing thoughts in my head.
It’s a difficult balance, because we all (hopefully) know how important listening is as a gateway to learning. The two ears and one mouth principle.
Listening used to be intentional. Now it’s often how we avoid thinking.
We shifted from active learning, to passive consumption.
My take is that we should guard our time with the content we listen to, and build in required breaks throughout our day.
When choosing to listen, ensure it’s helping your mind, not rotting it. If you need some time to rot (i.e. scroll endlessly), set time limits or use a product like Brick to limit your rotting effectively, and not opting for an easy ‘ignore’.
Next, block out time every day to be alone with your thoughts. See time block ideas below:
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During one leg of your daily commute.
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During a daily walk.
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During your wake-up routine.
Personally, I love a walk. There’s no better time to engage with your thoughts and work through decisions you’ve been putting off.
Give one a try or send us your favorite way to stop listening, and we’ll shout you out next newsletter.
Quote to consider:
“If you don't contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you're not thinking” - John C. Maxwell - Or, Malcolm Gladwell
Next time you encounter a view like this, enjoy it without adding your own soundtrack.