Is a Fear of Being Bored Holding You Back?

Acknowledging the aversion can help you finally pursue mastery

Photo by Juan Gomez on Unsplash

We say things like “enjoy the process” and “it’s all about the journey” and “consistency is key.”

I agree with those statements. The journey of growth and learning is so important to me.

But there’s something else we need to add to the mix: accepting boredom.

James Clear first introduced me to the idea while I was training for a half-marathon a couple of years back. I was putting in the kilometres and listening to Atomic Habits. Being okay with being bored was the message I needed to get through training.

Then Covid hit. I stopped training, and the concept faded.

I constantly talk about wanting to play Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu on the keyboard. A famous, difficult piece. You can’t master it without dedicated hours of practice. And yet there I was, playing for a couple of bars and then reaching for my phone as soon it got boring.

After realising that my attention had been diverted for the tenth or twentieth time and feeling a familiar surge of self-critical frustration, the light bulb went off.

At even the first hint of boredom, my attention would bounce.