Last week I returned from a meditation retreat.

No phone. No reading, no writing. No notifications. No conversations.
Just breath, presence and time… which turned out to be the most confronting part.
Most of us say we’re “busy.”
However, what the retreat revealed to me is that being busy and being intentional are two entirely different things.
When there’s no noise, you realise how much time you normally give away to distraction.

To other people’s priorities.
To autopilot habits.
To stress disguised as productivity.
The biggest lesson I took away?

Time becomes meaningful only when you give it direction.
Since returning I’ve started blocking “intentional time” into my week — not just for work, but for thinking, planning and reflection.
And it’s transformed the way I show up for my clients in the creative industries.

I’m clearer, calmer and more focused on the essentials — the things that actually move the needle for them.
If you ever feel pulled in ten directions, try blocking 30 minutes of intentional time.
No phone. No noise. No agenda except clarity.
It might surprise you how much you get back.