Make your boredom better

We all get bored. What we do in our boredom can change our lives. The trick is to quit allowing technology to distract you from being bored. In a moment, we find ourselves bored, or on a break, and we have been conditioned since 2007 to pick up our smart phone.

Don't. The first trick of embracing and making your boredom better is to think for 5 seconds.

In this moment, you need a crutch. Your brain is bored, and in the next few moments, what you do will either make your boredom better or add to the average 5 hours and 16 minutes that most Americans spend on their phones per day.¹

From Harmony Hit

Make your “I Will’s”

May I suggest that you take some time to create an “I will” list?

In Psalm 101, David reveals a repetitive list of “I will’s.” He begins with:

“I will sing of faithful love and justice; I will sing praise to you, LORD.” (verse 1)

From there, he lists approximately nine general areas that in the CSB Bible is given a “headline” of “A Vow of Integrity.” Here are the nine areas as I see them. You can read the Psalm yourself to check me.

1. I will worship God with music and song.

2. I will be careful and intentional as I pursue a blameless life.

3. I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

4. I will not look at what is vile and vulgar.

5. I will not tolerate nor associate with evil people.

6. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from evil evil.

7. I will not tolerate conceit and pride.

8. I will choose faithful, godly people as friends, companions and associates.

9. I will daily discern people who are evil and work against their desires to ruin and tear down.

Why does making an “I Will” list help?

In those five seconds - at the moment you realize you’re bored, you have a choice. This choice can make your boredom better and may reorient your mind and heart to productive, generous, wholesome, joyful and life-giving moments. Rather than looking up from your phone 30 minutes later and realizing you can’t get those moments back, having a list of “I will’s” will reframe what you do next.

For instance, in reflection on #1 above, you choose to pay attention to and praise God for His character and acts lyrically. This may mean you choose to listen to a praise song and think about its lyrics, thanking God for who He is. Or it may mean grabbing a pen and doing some actual writing (what’s that? 🙃). Write down some things you are grateful for. Go an extra step and make it rhyme - even if it’s cheesy. Then, file it away or share it with a friend who you know will be encouraged or at least innocently laugh at your attempt at poetry. Perhaps your lyrics and verse will be drawing. Just sketch for a few moments.

In reflection on #4, you’ll be reminded to not use those idle moments to pursue pornography or look at images that may give you dopamine hits but will leave you in guilt and regret.

In reflection on #9, perhaps you’ll remember a news item that triggered your dismay or frustration. Look up the name of your governmental representatives and send them a gracious but firm email about your convictions. Do the work of speaking up and out rather than just posting an empty opinion on social media.

For the Christian, all of these pause and reflect moments should be filtered through our love for Jesus. We have the privilege and mission of not just making our boredom better, but in making our world better. Because of Jesus!

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Perhaps now you see why David was called “a man after God’s heart.” He had built in some “I will’s” to his life. Even though, like us, he was not perfect (only Jesus is), his resolution and determination to internal integrity can inspire our own focus.

My “I will’s”

I’ve got three places that I review on occasion to recenter me and prep me for more productive boredom. I’m currently working on a some new life patterns related to my use of technology which I’ll tell you about in a future post.²

1. Several years ago, I made my “personal ministry statement.”

2. I followed it up with a “philosophy of ministry.”

3. This post condenses some of these.

I refer to each of these on occasion to reset and reframe my mind. I also now use David’s “I will’s” from Psalm 101 as a prompt and help.

You’re bored. What you do next can be a waste or a wonder. How good will you feel when you have embraced one of your “I will’s” instead of adding to a statistic about screen time?

What is your list of “I will’s?”

1. Are You Addicted to Your Phone? American Phone Usage & Screen Time Statistics (Harmony Hit, January 8, 2025)

2. I ordered a Nokia 2780 flip phone in an attempt to use a “dumb phone.” It was an immediate failure. More later.