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Just What is a “Wandering Mind”? (Part 1) – From Scatter to Flow: Harnessing the Power of Visits

Just What is a “Wandering Mind”? (Part 1) – From Scatter to Flow: Harnessing the Power of Visits

by | Mar 28, 2025 | , , ,

Dropping things, losing things, forgetting things, …

“I’ll do it later…”

“Why can’t I just do the thing?

Many of us wrestle with a wandering mind—a mind that feels magnified in the present moment but struggles to connect with the broader flow of time.

What Is a Wandering Mind?

Imagine looking through a magnifying lens. At its center, everything is vivid and detailed, but the edges blur into obscurity. A wandering mind works similarly—not in space, but in awareness. It amplifies the Now, making it rich and intense, while the Not Now—future plans, past commitments, meanings outside of current awareness—fades into a distant haze.

This heightened focus can be both a gift and a challenge. On one hand, it allows for deep engagement and creativity; on the other hand, it can make navigating daily life feel overwhelming.

The Two Forms of Time: Now and Not Now

A common joke within ADHD circles is that there are only two forms of time: Now and Not Now. While humorous, this insight captures a deep truth about how many of us experience time. The Now is vivid and urgent, demanding our attention. Meanwhile, the Not Now—whether it’s next week’s deadline or tomorrow’s grocery list—feels almost mythical.

To navigate this dynamic, we need tools that honor the intensity of the Now while gently bridging it to the Not Now. One such tool is what I call a Visit.

Visits: A Gentle Approach to Focus

Rather than forcing yourself into action, consider the concept of a Visit—a deliberate yet flexible way to engage with your work or tasks. Here’s how it works:
  1. Choose a focus: Identify what you want to engage with.
  2. Be with that focus: Show up fully for even a brief moment.
  3. Preferably, set distractions aside: Create an environment that supports your attention.
  4. Stay for at least one deep breath: Ground yourself in the present.
  5. Optionally nudge forward: Take a small step if it feels right.
  6. Leave at any time: Consider when you might make a next Visit if it makes sense.

A Visit can be as short as one breath or extend into deeper work—it’s entirely up to you. The key is to be there, to fully engage your present sense of agency. Doing so helps you approach your tasks with curiosity and kindness rather than force or pressure.

Why Visits Work

Visits are powerful because they align with how wandering minds naturally operate:
  • They release dependency on rigid deadlines.
  • They allow you to organize work in ways that honor your unique rhythms.
  • They transform overwhelming tasks into approachable moments.
Instead of battling against your mind’s tendencies, Visits help you work with them—turning magnified awareness into an ally rather than an obstacle.

A Path Forward

Over the coming newsletters, I’ll share more of the Wandering Mind’s story.

Meanwhile, consider starting small: Choose one task today and approach it as a Visit. Take one deep breath, show up gently, and see where it leads you.

  • Kourosh

PS: Years ago, I began writing about this concept in my series “Letters of a Wandering Mind.” This newsletter revisits those ideas through the lens of my recent work on Waves of Focus: Guiding a Wandering Mind. Stay tuned for more…

What is Productivity?

Productivity is many things. For some, it is about doing a lot in a little time.
But, truly, productivity is so much more. It is about:

  • Setting yourself up for success.
  • Being focused where you want to be.
  • Doing things that you find meaningful.
  • Being creative, sometimes even in harsh environments.
  • Forging your own paths.
  • Finding your voice and delivering it well.
  • Knowing and actively deciding on your obligations.
  • Knowing where and how to say “no”.
  • Avoiding procrastination.

Too often, many of us fall into just going along with and fighting whatever the world throws at us. “Go with the flow!”, we say. Meanwhile, we might think, “I’d like to do that one thing. Maybe one day I will.” The days go by. The goal never arrives, and then we wonder why or blame circumstance.

But when we learn to take charge of our lives and the world
around us, we start living life with intention.

“I should do that,” becomes “This is how I start”. Deliberately forging a path to our goals and dreams, we figure out what we want in life and then start taking steps there.

Of course, striking out may seem scary. It takes courage to live life with purpose and on purpose. Roadblocks and worries, fears and concerns show up everywhere.

This is my passion. I want to help you to find that sense of your own unique play to meet the world so that you can:

  • Create a life that is yours.
  • Find and follow an inner guide in a way that works for you and those you care for.
  • Decide on your obligations and meet them while building the world you want.

Productivity Journal

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