As I often note to people who ask “are you busy?”, I am “always active, never busy”. This is both a privilege of time of life (as an example, my three sons are grown and I have no day to day family responsibilities) but also a conscious choice, and one guided by Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest Roman Stoics and one specific teaching he gave us.
In his truly vital book, “Meditations”, essentially a journal of short thoughts and sayings to live by, the lesson I refer to, oft translated to “if you seek tranquillity, do less”, is more fully represented by:
“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?’”
Marcus Aurelius, in “Meditations”
Let me explain how that applies to me and my chosen area of client work. I work with a select number of leaders of businesses and organisations, to support them to make what to them is a “Massive Impact”. Those leaders who choose to work with me are those who identify with the words on my home page: You are already a visionary, successful and making a difference, yet you remain hungry to make an even bigger “dent in the universe” for yourself and your organisation. They choose me for my ability to listen deeply then, together, to arrive at “authentic, creative, relevant and “cut through” actionable insights”.
So, back to that teaching from Marcus Aurelius. In order to deliver the highest value to my clients, I must always come to them with a calm, tranquil mind, ready to be 100% present and listen deeply then allow the “pattern matching” that comes after that to deliver insights. As Marcus Aurelius advises, I therefore consciously eliminate all that I can from life so that I can have that tranquil mind for my work.
As an example, every month I take a four hour (each way) journey by train to spend a few hours with one of my clients. On the morning journey most of my fellow travellers are immersed in work on their laptops. For me, I am unburdened by deadlines, project, management, tasks, so (other than referring to past client meeting notes), I spend the time doing whatever I feel will bring me to the client meeting in the most tranquil and calm state, whether that be reading, listening to music, writing etc.
In closing, back to the words of the stoic master: “Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?'”
What could you eliminate, and, in so doing, what would be the benefits to you of the tranquillity that would give you?