Episode 4 - Robert Plotkin: Busyness is the Devil’s Playground

“An idle mind is the devil’s playground.”

This is not the case in business.

When working on a business or building a brand, it’s easy to fall into a state of constant distractions, busyness, and endless sources calling for your attention. While having so many things demand for your time is generally a good sign that your business is going well, it can also lead to burnout, lack of productivity, and can kill creativity.

In this episode, I talk with Robert Plotkin, the founder of Technology for Mindfulness. He lives and breathes the high-tech world, but always leaves space for his mindfulness practices. In our discussion, Robert challenges the value of being busy and instead places that value in idleness. He shares insights into how to use mindfulness practices with technology, create personal systems to reestablish timely expectations, and ultimately provide space for creativity and productivity.

So get ready to learn practical tips on how to create a mindful workspace and increase your productivity.

Some Questions I Ask:

• How did you get to where you are today? (0:44)
• How can we obtain the benefits of modern technology without being sucked in by it? (13:29)
• What drives you in your day-to-day endeavors? (24:17)
• If you gave your 18-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? (27:12)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Robert’s company Technology for Mindfulness. (8:28)
• Why idleness is essential to creativity and productivity. (11:15)
• How to use mindfulness to address distractions from technology. (13:40)
• How setting expectations and creating personal systems positively affects productivity. (21:40)

Connect with Robert Plotkin:

Technology for Mindfulness

Technology for Mindfulness Blog

Technology for Mindfulness Podcast

Resources:

The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business by Robert Plotkin

“In Praise of Idleness” by Bertrand Russell

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