Why Nathan Chen Didn't Bring His Phone To The Olympics: A Lesson In Creativity And Focus

We rarely go anywhere without our phones these days, much less to an important professional event. But superstar figure skater Nathan Chen decided not to bring his phone to this year's Winter Olympic Games. And it paid off in the form of a dazzling performance and a gold medal.

Leaving his phone behind was a deliberate, strategic choice for Chen. There are all kinds of reasons he could have convinced himself that having a phone was necessary: it would help him stay in touch with his coaches, family, and friends; he could use it to review his practice runs. But as he later told the Wall Street Journal (a small point in the article that Cal Newport picked up on in a recent blog post), Chen knew he would end up mindlessly scrolling through social media. And he knew that would drain him of energy, focus, and joy just when he needed those qualities the most.

So he left his phone behind and instead brought along his electric guitar.

Stolen focus

Chen knew that, regardless of our best intentions, our devices frequently get the better of us. Those devices, and the social media platforms they thrive on, are designed that way.

In his new book Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again, Johann Hari documents how today's most successful websites and apps (and the devices we view them on) are profitable precisely because of how distractable we are. Big Tech has turned distraction into a science.

"Whenever you are tempted to put your phone down, the site keeps drip-feeding you the kind of material that it has learned, from your past behavior, keeps you scrolling," Hari writes.

We can tell ourselves we will pick up the phone only for a few minutes to check messages. But fifteen minutes later, we are still there, clicking and scrolling away.

The mindful recharge

As Cal Newport points out in his book Deep Work, those times when we can immerse ourselves in single-minded, undistracted focus are the times when we will produce our best work. But we cannot sustain that kind of focus forever. The average person can concentrate deeply for only a few hours a day. In between, we need the chance to recover and recharge. 

The question is: What kind of recharge are we going to give ourselves when we take a break?

The easiest thing is to default to something mindless, like scrolling through our phones or browsing the Internet. It may seem relaxing, but it is not. Compulsive behavior like this drains and numbs us. It most certainly does not energize us. 

Taking a break is not enough. We need to recharge to refill our tanks, which brings us back to Nathan Chen's electric guitar.

Chen does not pretend to be a great guitarist, but it is a passion and comfort for him. It is indirectly connected to his sport, in that skaters perform to music and have to tap into the rhythm of that music. But he also says it clears his mind and gives him a much-needed sense of calm as he is preparing for a competition. 

That he chose his guitar over his phone should be a lesson for all of us. Creative outlets like music allow our minds to rest and recover while at the same time giving us a way to express ourselves artistically, a basic human need for all of us.

What drains you, what fuels you?

I return to these two fundamental questions again and again with my executive coaching clients. Our energy and vitality is our most precious resource. We must guard it jealously and replenish it regularly. I tell clients to list the two and then prioritize the activities that fuel them and minimize the activities that drain them. It is important to note what fuels you need not fall into “useful” or “productive.” Go ahead and indulge your creative side. Do something for the sheer joy of doing it. 

Managing your energy is something to be mindful of throughout the day. At the start of the day, it may be tempting to catch up on email. But this will put you in a reactive rather than a proactive mindset. Find an activity that energizes and empowers you. For me, that is either meditation or movement, ideally a combination of the two. Both activities ground me in the present and leave me clear-minded and energized for the day ahead.

Throughout the workday, we need periodic breaks to reset and recharge. We may be tempted to narrow our options and settle for a quick coffee and sugary snack. We are better off investing the time in an activity that will genuinely refuel us—an exercise class or a long walk.

The recharge that comes at the end of the workday is essential. As Cal Newport writes, our "directed attention centers" need "uninterrupted rest" at the end of the day. You have to set a time to shut down and then stick to it. "Only the confidence that you're done with work until the next day can convince your brain to downshift to the level where it can begin to recharge for the next day to follow."

We need to be able to put our work behind us. And we need to find something that will truly help us recover and restore ourselves for the next day. It is often at the end of the day—when we are exhausted and when our willpower is low—that we are tempted to give in to the desire to lose ourselves in something mindless and numbing. Whether scrolling social media or binge-watching the latest trendy show, those default choices are rarely our best options.

Mindful attention is knowing how to focus on the task at hand when we are at work. It is also about making smart and healthy choices about what to focus on when we are off the clock.

So put down the phone. And pick up the guitar instead.