Getting things done by not doing them

the nine precepts of Lichtenbergianism

So I’m sitting here on 23rd December, having put the out of office on (as per my post on 24th December), and this post goes out on 26th December. Yes, am in a weird time loop, or, more simply, am “banking” a bunch of posts so that I can truly switch off from 24th December onwards for a number of days yet still have posts go out daily :) Anyway, by mid afternoon today I’ll have finished writing the last of these posts, so that leaves me nothing but time to do.. to do what exactly? Well, I’m someone who consciously structures my year, my time, my work, my energy. This time of year, for me, is a time to do… nothing. For about ten days I will have no plan, no structure, anything on the “to do” list will be pushed out into 2021. I will likely go for a few walks, read some books, listen to some podcasts, get on zooms and phone calls with friends and family. I will, but there is no plan, there is nothing I have to do.

The cynics among you may call this procrastination or simply downright sloth. The more enlightened (hah!) may be more open-minded when I tell you that, to the contrary, I am practicing the creative art of Lichtenbergianism, a practice I was introduced to by my next guest on #WhatComesNextLive, Nick Parker, who will join me at 5pm UK time on Tuesday 5th January 2021. Nick found a way to introduce this creative practice via: “Probably the best joke I’ve read all week”