When was the last time you had nothing to do? Most of us would have to take a walk down memory lane, way back to the days of our childhood when we had so few responsibilities that we helped worms cross the sidewalk on rainy days and collected funny-looking sticks to show our siblings. We had no duties, no job, no errands, and no time schedule to keep, and we truly had nothing to do—How nice…
It seems that in our adult lives, we can no longer afford to obsess over the quirks of the outside world, but instead have become wrapped up with our evergrowing to-do list. Tangent thoughts were magical when we were kids, as we chased butterflies and had unlimited time on our hands, but these days, distractions can derail the entire machine of life. Until the day’s tasks are tackled, there will be no butterfly hunts and no mystical backyard potions getting concocted, at least, not until our work is done.
So with the promise of fun or relaxation at the end of our task-oriented checklist, it’s time we tune out the distractions, focus on what needs to be done, and immerse ourselves in a hyperproductive mental state. However, as many of us realize, it’s not always so simple.
Even as I write this, I’m hyperaware of emails coming in on my phone, my neighbor playing a videogame next door, and the sound of the Amazon delivery guy dropping off a package. Distractions are unavoidable, but luckily Gen Z has memeified and simplified the only technique strong enough to tackle life’s biggest destabilizers: «Locking in.»
