Silence is Golden

Recently, I came across an interesting article written by Ann-Maree Moodie in an innovative Australian magazine called FastThinking. The article had a title called Leave me Alone so it sure got my attention! The author talks about how ironic our state of lives have become. On the one hand, we strive to create new technological gadgets and electronic products, which is supposed to help make our daily lives easier.


image:Golden Wood Studios
Unfortunately, items such as mobile/cell phones, e-mail, electronic organizers and the like also serves to create distractions and intrusions on any quiet time that we may obtain on a given day. She also made a good point, that even when you are on a plane and flying at high altitude, it is now possible to reach you via e-mail or phone, so you don't even get any quiet time while flying anymore! The article also goes deeper to examine studies that have been done by cognitive theorists on idea creation.

However, the issue that the author had raised about the importance of silence and the influence it has on the formation of ideas helped me to look at my own environment and the distractions that I face on a daily basis.

Take for example at work, I'm expected to find new solutions and ideas that can be incorporated to our existing software system. But, during the course of the day I will receive a huge amount of e-mails (sometimes it feels like an insurmountable amount of e-mails; currently, I'm still trying to clear my inbox as I have a lot of follow-up items that have yet to be actioned!), then there's the phone calls, skype messages/calls, meetings (and more meetings) and generally people just coming up to me to discuss things. With all these distractions, I do wonder how I find the time to come up with practical solutions, let alone coming up with innovative ideas? To be honest, it is very hard with all these constant distractions (and I know these are just part of life at work). I'm just wondering how I can be more constructive and innovative in the face of these daily happenings? And that's just at work. When I am at home, the television is blaring in the background, the microwave or jug/kettle is boiling, dinner to cook and if I'm surfing the net - then there goes most of the evening!

Take a look at your day and list the items that take up your time and prevents you from focusing on forming solutions or coming up with new ideas for a project - you might be suprised as to what you will find out.

Based on this article and after an assessment of my own daily rituals, I do agree that it certainly doesn't hurt to have some quiet time out. Lately I've been trying really hard to have a few quiet moments, so that I can think clearer and find some focus so that I can come up with more innovative ideas whether it is for work, our websites or projects we have in mind. I have been trying to implement the following:

1. Reading books - I do a lot of reading on the net each day, but I do remember how much I used to enjoy reading a novel. I find reading to be very relaxing. It provides me with much needed quiet time, helps me to unwind and think clearer so I can reflect on life and things in general. It also stimulates my imagination, which in turn helps me to think outside of the square. I have just finished a Jane Austen book and I am currently reading Charles Dickens's masterpiece "A Tale of Two Cities" (ok, this is a rather hard book to read, though once you get passed the first few chapters, it is pretty good and you learn a lot about how people used to live from 1775, especially in France and England).

Basically, find a hobby that you enjoy that helps you to achieve your own quiet tranquility and fosters your mind to be creative and active.

2. Turn off the television - For me anyway, television is a huge distraction, so I am trying hard to make sure that I do not watch too much of it. Lately, because I have been reading my novels, I've spent less time watching TV. Turning it off or just putting it on mute, provides the silence I need to think clearer.

3. Allocate time on the net - I know this is hard for a lot of us, but I think putting aside time one spends on-line is important. If we consciously do not do this, then like anything it becomes an addiction and we start to lose touch with the real world. I personally think the internet provides us with a lot of helpful and good resources. Information is at our finger tips. All I'm saying is that it's also important to find a balance.

4. Reduce mobile/cell phone usage - In the age of the mobile/cell phone technology, I know a lot of us spend time on the phone either talking, texting and now the ability to also surf the net. Again with this technology, balance is the key.

5. Emails - I enjoy reading personal e-mails, but these too are a real distraction. At the same time, work related e-mails can consume one's day especially when we all rely on it so much. I tend to create folders, so I separate work and personal e-mails from each other. When I need a sanity break I will open my personal e-mails. However, finding your own method to get on top of your e-mails is crucial, so that you do not spend the whole day sifting through them. I tend to assign a few hours in the morning to sort through them, that way I can focus on other things during the rest of the day. Like I said, I'm still working on it as my inbox is still very full!

6. Find quiet time - Honestly, just set aside some quiet time for yourself. It can be as little as 30 minutes each day. Try it out and see if it helps you relax and think clearer so that you can come up with more innovative and creative ideas.

Here's hoping that you may find silence to be golden for your life aswell...