Member-only story
How I Learned to Stay Engaged in a World Built for Distraction
Why engagement matters — and how to make it a habit
I always thought I was an amazing multitasker. I had three browser windows open, my Slack notifications pinging away every two minutes, emails coming through like a flood, music playing — it was my badge of honor to handle it all. But something felt off. Even at the end of a day, so packed with activity, I was busy every moment. I had felt frenetic and unaccounted for.
And that was when engagement — real engagement — started rattling around in my brain. Ever been when you are so engrossed in a conversation that time flies by? Or when you are engaging in something and everything else disappears? It was something I coveted, but it was almost a rarity for me now.
The Wake-Up Call
I realized while I was in a team meeting. Someone was passing on a key piece of information, and I glanced at my phone. I was not only disrespecting my colleague — I was taking away from myself this opportunity of being 100%. That moment gave me a painful perspective that I had to face — I was mastering being everywhere and nowhere at the same time.