House Music and Saying "No" to Good Ideas

Sometimes we just need time to think...

If you’re like me, you listen to music while you do anything work-related, whether or not its answering emails or tidying up around the house.

And I’ve been listening to way more house music lately… (like this)⤵

I’ve been into electronic, dance, and house music for years, but now it makes up about 85% of my daily listening sessions.

The reason for this is that I just want to listen to more music that aligns with my personal goals. I think music has an incredible power to put us in so many different head spaces.

I remember when I was in university I had an iPod classic with several thousand songs that I had collected in my iTunes library over the years.

Itunes library someone had. I do like Noarh Jones though.

It was such a change of space to go from A Tribe Called Quest, to Foo Fighters, to Norah Jones, to Rick Ross, to Zero 7.

There’s nothing wrong with that sudden change of energy, but I’d find myself thinking about very different things when listening to a record by Drake vs a record by Peter Gabriel. I love to sing a long with songs, and just taking the need to participate out of the equation out of music while working has made for an infinite amount of progress in the areas of focus.

This video by former Apple designer Jony Ive has really stuck with me lately. He basically says that the most important thing he learned from Steve Jobs was how to focus.

Jony explains that focus is being able to say “no” to the things you’re actually really interested in and excited about doing but ultimately detract from your greater goal/ vision.

Plus. check out the comments on this video? There is really something to be said about choosing your words carefully, especially when it pertains to having humility in your work (enough to turn down the things that may stir your ego or pleasure the senses.)⤵

I’m saying all this to say that I’ve been looking for a deeper level of focus in my work and instrumental music helps facilitate that.

It helps me to focus on the things that really matter—

While I do love a good song with heartful lyrics, there is nothing like using music to tap deep into what matters (remove yourself from the equation).

Think clearly. Think Deeply.

There’s a really good interview with Andre 3000 and Rick Rubin where they discuss music—— in it, Andre explains how he listens to music without lyrics so he can think clearly. Here’s the clip timestamped.

What music have you been listening to lately?

Photo by Nadia Sitova on Unsplash