Boredom Is a Lost Art

I’ve been stewing on this for a while now. And if you’re like me—if your brain never stops, if you’re always trying to maximize productivity, if creativity feels like it’s drying up under the weight of responsibility—this might be the most important thing you hear this week.

The Problem: Mental Oblivion

During a standard day for me, I’ll work super hard then I’ll take some time to rest. However, as soon as I sit down, I feel that pull.

Phone. Notifications. Email. Social media. Scroll, scroll, scroll until my mind is mush and my attention span is a crime scene.

It’s not rest.

It’s sedation.

And it’s the death of creativity. It’s toxic. It’s terrible. And it’s incredibly common because it feels like a break… until you stand up and realize you’re more drained than when you sat down.

The Tip: Let Yourself Be Bored

You won’t hear this very often, but it’s absolutely true:

Boredom is a lost art.

And boredom is good.

If you’re built like me—wired for output, efficiency, momentum—you need to practice doing nothing on purpose. Not doom-scrolling. Not half-watching something while answering emails. Not pretending to recharge while you feed your brain junk.

Actual boredom.

Sit there. Let your mind wander, and let your thoughts bump into each other without you trying to force an outcome. Because here’s what I’ve found: some of my best ideas show up when I’m not chasing them, and some of my best creativity hits when I’m not hunting for it.

Boredom creates space.

Space creates clarity.

Clarity creates solutions.

The Pendulum: Workaholic vs. Lazy

Now, there’s a pendulum here.

Some of you need boredom because you’re overworked, overloaded, and always “on.” You’re addicted to productivity and the anxiety that comes with it. For you, boredom is medicine.

But some of you are on the other side.

You’re already too comfortable. Too much leisure. Too much entertainment. Too much “I’ll start tomorrow.”

So don’t hear me say boredom is 100% good and use it as an excuse to disappear into thirty hours of gaming and call it personal growth.

Warrior poets don’t live at the extremes. We pursue balance. We want to be highly effective and whole strong in our bodies, sharp in our minds, stable in our homes, and useful to the people around us.

Failing Forward Toward Victory

I’m not writing this as someone who has it all figured out. I’m writing this as someone trying to get better. I want to be successful—yes—but also well-balanced. I want to win in business, relationships, fitness, and faith without becoming a hollow machine that can’t sit still for thirty seconds without reaching for a screen.

And that’s the challenge for you too: Do something today. Train. Move. Build. Work. And then—on purpose stop.

Let your brain breathe.

Let boredom do its job.

Remember, Train Hard. Train Smart. And reclaim boredom as a discipline so your mind can recover, your creativity can return, and your life can stay sharp.