Today, I’m writing after a while, and the first thing that strikes me is how little I look outside when I don’t write. Even though I sit at this very desk daily for work, I miss out on the sight of trees swaying in the cold winter winds and the lovely sunshine (thankfully, no gloomy weather recently).
That said, I do walk around the house, which helps me think deeply about what I’m working on. I’ve found that the ability to think deeply in different environments has been immensely valuable. I can focus on something even if I’m not in a so-called “ideal” setting. Of course, my mind is still prone to wandering, but I try to immerse myself in the task at hand. One of my favorite books on this topic is Deep Work by Cal Newport.
I first noticed this skill while growing up. I would be playing games on the PC while my dad lay on the bed, simply staring at the wall. As a kid, I used to wonder how he could just lie there and do nothing. But gradually, I realized he was actually thinking deeply—perhaps about his patients, his garden, or something else entirely.
I came to appreciate this much later. Not only has it helped me develop deep focus, but it has also taught me patience—the ability to be physically still while mentally working through something. Many ideas and solutions to problems have come to me this way. Even when I think I’m not actively thinking, my mind is still processing the problem in the background because I’ve become so immersed in that space.
The cherry on top is when my mind solves a problem in my dreams—and it actually works. I hope I can reach such deeply immersed states more often in the things I’m working on.