My deepest thinking happens in one of four “zen zones”: when I am sitting at home in my comfortable chair with the Bose headset blocking the sounds from the world and playing at low volume from my collection of Hindi songs, when I am on a flight (preferably a long distance one) where the constraint of not being able to move around and no distractions works like a charm, in a temple where others are praying and I find myself a chair to sit with my notebook in hand and with the belief that God will help direct and streamline my thinking, and a sofa in my office side room where I can stretch my legs – and perhaps sometimes even fall asleep!
Each of us needs a Zen Zone – where we can do deep thinking. In our device-driven interruption-filled world, being away from the temptation of touching a device is very important. For me, what I need is my notebook and a pen. Silence is helpful but not mandatory. I can transport myself even with surrounding sounds as long as they are not distracting. What I also need is the assurance of contiguous time – that I can be in the silent thinking state for an hour or so. That’s when the thoughts flow and ideas connect. I use my notebook to write everything that comes to mind. Paper and pen are better than connected and tempting digital devices.
As I wrote a few years ago: “In this “me-time”, I am not distracted by emails and WhatsApp messages. There is nothing that cannot wait for a few hours. I recreate the comfort of the inflight experience: sitting in one place with just one’s mind to oneself. This is when the ideas “flow”. We need chunky time for this – and our devices and notifications have taken it away from us. The temptation to pick up the phone or switch from Word to Thunderbird must be resisted. It is only then, with each passing minute, that we get into a high productivity zone. I am able to create a bubble around me at any time, even in noisy surroundings. All I need is my notebook. At times, I am stuck in meetings which I cannot exit or escape. My notebook comes to my rescue. I mentally switch off and start writing – it is time with myself that others do not notice. The reason for time with oneself is so we can contemplate on what we are doing and what we need to do. Much of life is a reaction to events around us, so it is very important to create these extended periods when we can think deeply about the important rather than act on the urgent.”
The zen zone has transformed my writing. When I sit with just a notebook, ideas arrive unhurried. I find myself making connections I wouldn’t otherwise make — between a book I read last month and a problem I’m solving today, between something a colleague said and a half-formed thought that’s been waiting for attention. The writing that emerges is less reactive, more considered. It’s not about producing more; it’s about producing what matters.
Finding your zen zone isn’t about luxury or leisure. It’s about protecting the space where your best thinking lives. The world will always have more urgent demands than you can meet. The zen zone is where you decide which ones deserve your attention – and discover ideas that no notification would ever have delivered.
