Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life

by Ozan Varol

We prefer the certainty of these distractions over the uncertainty of boredom (I don’t know what to do with myself, and I’d rather not find out). In a 2017 survey, roughly 80 percent of Americans reported that they spent no time whatsoever “relaxing or thinking.”26 During rare moments of tranquility, we feel almost guilty. As notifications scream their hundred-decibel sirens for attention, we feel compelled to take a furtive glance at them so we don’t miss out. Rather than being proactive, we spend most of our days—and our lives—playing defense. We self-soothe with the same distractions that ultimately make us feel worse.