Two Surprising Secrets of Boredom
There are two traps in leadership.
- Constant productivity
- Merciless efficiency
Frenetic schedules reflect productivity, efficiency, and arrogance. A leader committed to constant productivity has rejected their humanity.
You have a problem if stillness scares you.
You’re better than a squirrel during nut harvest. Make time for stillness.
Make room for boredom.
#1. Boredom and Clarity
Motion isn’t meaning. Stillness is space to think, feel, and remember what matters.
We run around with our hair on fire and complain that we can’t find clarity. Lack of clarity points to absence of quiet. Constant stimulation obscures meaning.
Quiet feels wasteful. But feeling efficient when you’re losing yourself is destructive. Clarity grows when you’re still.
When Boredom Creeps In
- Your brain stops reacting and starts reflecting.
- Your soul whispers what your schedule silences.
- You remember what matters—and what doesn’t.
Insight follows clarity. Some of your best leadership moments are the result of not doing.
#2. Boredom and Insight
Noise drowns out reflection. Insight whispers.
We run from the truth by staying busy. Stillness lets your brain process what hustle suppresses.
Constant reacting distorts vision. You can’t see straight. The light catches up when you slow down.
You can’t listen deeply when your world is full of noise.
Action Item
Schedule empty space. If you’re never still, you’re probably never listening.
Schedule 10 minutes of strategic quiet today. No phone. No task. Just you, a notepad, and stillness.
What are some powers of stillness?
Go Deep: Eye-opening Self-Reflection Questions for Leaders
Get The Vagrant. It’s a cautionary tale about losing the ability to see yourself. Read it to learn ways to reconnect with authenticity.
Great article – I’ve always been a big believer in stillness(or not doing much in particular) is the source of most of my best thinking and sometimes the odd original thought, so thanks for capturing it so succinctly (your opening sentence does remind me of a certain Monty Python sketch!)
NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! There are two traps in leadership, constant productivity, merciless efficiency …and surprise… The three traps in leadership are constant productivity, merciless efficiency and surprise…and fear …. Our *four*…no… Amongst the traps in leadership are constant productivity, merciless efficiency, surprise, fear and nice red uniforms……. I’ll come in again!
Apologies!
Thanks for jumping in, Martin. Love where you took this. There’s one more trap! Responding to people’s comments.
I watched the “Machine that Goes Ping.” Is that the sketch you refer to? I had to stop watching about half way through because I was laughing so hard!!
This scene fits perfectly as the mother asks the doctors “What do I do?” and their reply is “Nothing! (You’re not qualified)” – so even they say to allow time to do nothing, lol!
Good one!
Meditation grounds me in stillness, and in that clarity, new insights often rise to the surface.
Thanks Paul. I’m always glad to read your insights and experiences.
I always appreciated a walk, it gave me some time to reflect, got me outside. gave me little exercise, and some vitamin D.
I love this. I attend a monastery just about each December. There is something powerful about getting quiet, journaling, reading, reflecting, taking walks by yourself, and praying. These things bring peace to your mind and spirit.
….which I might add, is so hard to do today – hence the monastery. Sometimes you have to put yourself in an environment where that is all you can do.