Modern life is a paradox of efficiency and exhaustion. While technology grants us instant connectivity and endless convenience, it simultaneously buries us under a relentless volume of emails, messages, and perceived responsibilities. There has never been so much that we have to do. This overwhelming pace frequently pulls us away from what truly matters, leaving us in a state of constant overwhelm.
However, by looking back to the wisdom of Ancient Greece, we can find a powerful antidote to this modern frenzy. Their lessons on intentionality and focus offer a blueprint for reclaiming our time and attention.
Something that you notice, reading history, is the power of the slower day-to-day pace. On the surface, a day seemed less busy, yet when you expand the time horizon, a great many things were actually accomplished. Many of Einstein’s theories came about later in his life, after he had digested and thought about other things. Darwin’s theory of evolution came after having spent decades exploring and thinking about the world. Solon wrote his laws and then travelled for 10 years.
Herodotus travelled and then spent years penning his Histories, giving rise to the historical account and producing works that are still foundational to our own reading and understanding of the Greco-Persian wars of the 5th century BCE.
Building philosophies took decades as committed students put forward their ideas, argued and refined them, and importantly, lived them. This dedication to deep, singular focus, rather than multitasking or doing too much all at the same time, is key.
Technology has substantially increased our pace of output. With AI we can produce a novel. With our communication devices we can talk to ten people throughout the day and have a long conversation. We do, produce, and do.
Yet the ancients, in accomplishing and focusing on less throughout their days, managed to produce many worthwhile things.
It’s worthwhile remembering this.
To embrace this intentional focus, concentrate on your telos (purpose) and practice selective engagement:
- Define excellence – look at the appropriate actions you need to take to be excellent in key areas.
- Align decisions – reflect often on what you are saying yes to, making sure it is aligned with your telos.
- Default to no – think about what you can say no to and reduce your involvement. There is no point being involved in many things if we can’t give any of it our proper time and attention.
The Stoic philosopher and emperor Marcus Aurelius captures this ideal perfectly in his Meditations:
“If you seek tranquility, do less. Or (more accurately), do what’s essential – what the logos of a social being requires, and in the requisite way. Which brings a double satisfaction to do less better.
Because most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘is this necessary?’
But we need to eliminate unnecessary assumptions as well. To eliminate the unnecessary actions that follow.”
-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 4.24
What has this looked like for me recently?
- I’ve delayed my own masters studies. Even though I’m passionate about the content and industry, it was only by thinking very carefully about the time commitment this requires and comparing it with my current roles, such as a dad who wants to be present with my daughter, that I realised the timing wasn’t right. These studies aren’t going away, so to speak, so I can always enroll later. It’s a worthy trade off to make.
- I have stepped back from body corporate. While I was enjoying the role and am proud of what we accomplished, I also had to be realistic with the time demands and balancing these with unplanned events that occurred. I could no longer give it the attention it deserved, and having an open conversation with everyone helped and we could find a replacement easily.
- I’ve changed when I go to the gym. Nowadays it’s a 4:00 am wake up. While not enjoyable at the time to be up so early, it allows me to get a workout in and be home to help with household tasks. This means I am around more during the day to help out and play. While some mornings I really don’t want to be getting up, I always feel better afterwards and glad that I did it.
As we continue to navigate a fast-paced world that demands much of our attention and time, it’s useful to come back to our telos. By focusing on our telos, we can reclaim our time, attention, and ultimately produce meaningful work and have the experiences that matter.
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