When I was a boy, I hated going to church, which was a problem because my dad was the preacher. But the truth is, as my dad preached about heaven, I was bored as hell.
I tried my best not to look or act bored. But along with personal hygiene (I avoided showers back then the way vampires avoid direct sunlight), subtlety was not one of my virtues.
I let out long sighs. I shifted in the pew. I scribbled drawings in the church bulletin of Bible characters like Samson and King David fighting zombies and dinosaurs.
The only way I could have made my boredom more obvious is if I’d groaned “Lord, I’m bored!” while sliding off the pew and into the aisle.
So it’s no surprise that one Sunday afternoon, on the drive home from church, my dad said to me, “Son, since you have to be at church anyway, pay attention. You’ll learn something.”
This is good advice.
It’s good advice because most of us spend at least part of our time stuck somewhere we don’t want to be.
You could be stuck at work. You could be stuck in meetings. You could be stuck having the same conversation for the 851st time with your spouse.
And when you’re stuck like this, what happens? Boredom sets in. Your mind drifts and you mentally check out. You stop paying attention.
This is totally natural. But it robs you of the opportunity to learn.
By paying attention, you can turn EVERYTHING into a learning opportunity. And as a writer that’s exactly what you’ve got to do.
Because as writers, it’s impossible to have too many facts, stories, and curious asides stored in the filing cabinet of our brains. It’s all valuable material. So pay attention!
The problem is, paying attention is hard. Especially when you’re stuck, like a bored kid in church, in circumstances or situations you’d rather not be in.
But none of us can afford to sleepwalk through life -- not even the boring bits. So let me share two simple techniques I use to keep my mind focused and paying attention.
I hope they’ll help you, too.
“Why do I feel bored right now?”
First, I simply recognize what I’m feeling and ask, “Why do I feel bored right now?”
Maybe it’s physical. I didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Or I skipped lunch. (That second one is hypothetical, by the way. I NEVER skip lunch.)
Or maybe it’s because I’ve got to endure yet another dull, droning meeting.
Back when I was a teacher, this happened all the time. I’m pretty sure my school was contractually obligated to make meetings as boring as possible.
Honestly, we could have recorded our meetings and sold the recordings as sleep aids. I bet insomnia rates would have dropped like a stone.
Anyway the point is, simply recognizing your boredom can snap you back to attention.
In this way, boredom acts like an alarm that alerts you to start paying attention again. Or maybe go take a nap.
“There are no boring subjects…”
The second technique -- well, it’s less a technique than it is a belief. And it comes from one of my favorite quotes by the imminently quotable G.K. Chesterton.
Chesterton said, “There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”
Granted, Chesterton never had to sit through a modern meeting, but even so, he makes an excellent point:
You can find something interesting in EVERYTHING -- if you’re looking for it. If you’re paying attention.
And if you believe, like Chesterton, that there truly are no boring subjects (well, except maybe meetings), then paying attention can yield treasures you would have otherwise overlooked.
Treasures that might lead to a great story idea. Or better performance at your work. Or the next step in getting your writing business off the ground.
Go ahead and give these two techniques a try. See if they help you pay attention and keep boredom at bay.
And if they don’t work for you, you could always try drawing pictures of Samson fighting zombies and dinosaurs … just don’t let your dad catch you doing it.
I Have Three Questions For You:
1. Which would win in a fight: zombies or dinosaurs?
2. If you could give up your left pinky finger and never have to go to another meeting again, would you? Discuss.
3. What techniques do you use to help yourself pay attention?
Did You Know?
Bob Bly, universally recognized as one of the world's greatest living copywriters, broke into copywriting for a surprising reason:
He was bored at his job and he REFUSED to be bored.
If you're currently bored at your 9-to-5, and you're longing to make writing your full-time gig, you'll want to check out my chat with Bob Bly.
In our 30-minute chat, Bob generously shares his secrets for freelance writing success. It's a great talk if you want actionable advice to help get your writing business off the ground. CLICK HERE to listen.
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