How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell | Comfort with the Discomfort of Indecision

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

The subject of the universe conspiring to help a person aspire towards their intentions, has occurred for me over the last weeks. A month ago when I had the luxury of time to relax and contemplate my next moves, and whether to continue spiraling along the path of pet sitting or redirect my efforts towards finding more permanent housing, I threw myself into emotional uneasiness because I was no closer to having a clear decision of a specific place I want to be. Yet, as I had heard before, ‘When you have an intention, the universe will introduce events to move you further in that direction.’

At the last pet sitting gig with a view of the peaks of the Pyrenees, wonderful hosts and a dog and cat who reflected their openness, I realized that I am indeed exactly where I need to be. Once I shifted my perspective (inspired through communication with numerous people) I realized that I am not only drawn into moment-to-moment awareness and appreciation of the places I visit and spirit of the natural world and animals with whom I establish a reciprocal loving relationship, yet I also can use this period as an ‘artist residency’ and discipline myself to use the time to create.

Synchronicities continued when I met an American couple in a hostel kitchen in Bordeaux, France. I was alone when a guy walked in to prepare breakfast. Eventually I asked him something and realized he wasn’t a french speaker. He went on to say that we came here…, cuing me to the fact that he was with his partner. People in a couple typically say ‘we’ instead of talking in the first person. He told me a bit of their story. They have a home in Lisbon, where I had initially landed (with my bicycle in a box). They each work in IT, in order to travel and work remotely from anywhere. I have the same goals, with less financial security – so far – as a writer, musician and artist. They had just gone to Biarritz for a day as I had the day before. Bordeaux was my base, where I could leave luggage and take the 2 hour train there with my bike. I told him I’m pet sitting with Trusted Housesitters. He said that they’d considered this same site. Arriving to eat, she echoed this, but their schedules weren’t flexible enough. She said that they’re just winging it at this point, making up their plans and direction as they go. I mentioned that recently I had become distraught, not knowing where to go, with no clear decision.

She laughed saying that she’s become ‘comfortable with the discomfort of indecision’.

And told me that this book, “How to Do Nothing”, which helped her to be okay with stopping the process of trying to figure out her next moves. To stop thinking about it and be okay with that. She mentioned that she had previously a really good job as a senior developer for a great company among great people, and realized she was unhappy. Each of them added that simple coding can be repetitive, yet that when it gets complex, it is extremely tedious. She said it reduced her confidence in herself when confronted with problems that seemed unsolvable. So her resolve was to quit her job. Yet, when she contemplated what to do next, what job, where… when the answers were obviously not coming, it only induced stress and became very unsettling. So instead of butting her thoughts against a wall, she decided to stop the process of thinking about it, at all. To stop ruminating about her next moves and future path, Seven months later, she felt ready to engage in the process. She recommended the book because it helped her to resolve to let go.

Interview with author Jenny Odell “How to Do Nothing” by the Guardian

In an interview by Ellie Shechet of The Guardian, “the artist, writer and Stanford professor Jenny Odell’s book “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy” questions ‘what we currently perceive as productive’. She wants to give readers permission to be a human, in a body, in a place.”

“Redirecting our attention towards our natural surroundings is Odell’s strategy for resisting a profit-driven tech landscape that, in separating our bodies and co-opting our attention, is possibly torching our ability to live meaningful lives, and preventing us from noticing.”

Noticing anything to the senses or the synchronicities that occur to guide us. Patterns of rain drops, eddies of a stream, droplets of moisture on grasses or a spider web, tangled roots of trees, cloudscapes, the sound of the breeze through leaves, incredible diversity of plants, insects and flowers, the adorable behavior of a dog, cat or wild animal. 

Carol Keiter aka nomadbeatz welcomes donations for her writing, photography, illustrations, eBook and music composition. The PayPal donation button functions in Safari and Firefox, however is broken in Chrome.

Geneva, Switzerland