Tapping Into the Power of Isolation (and How It Will Help You Level Up)

When you think about the word “isolation”, it brings with it an image of starkness.

Of being cast out.

Of being separated.

Of being deprived, even.

But is it really that bad? When you think about it…not really.

If you really think about it, the power of being alone is something that can be one of your greatest boons…if you know how to use it.

In this article, we’re going to be diving into:

• The true meaning of isolation
• The sheer power that’s inherent in it
• How to use isolation and the power of being alone to your advantage

Time to create separation.

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What is Isolation?

Isolation as defined by Merriam-Webster is:

the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others : the condition of being isolated

or

the act of separating something from other things : the act of isolating something

The key word to note in both of these definitions is separation. You are creating a space between two (or more things) in order to achieve some sort of outcome. In our case, the outcomes we want to achieve are twofold:

1. Create an environment for high levels of focus and attention to flourish
2. Create overall peace of mind

While these two aren’t guaranteed outcomes of isolation or being alone, they will be easier to achieve and cultivate because of the introduction of the dynamic of space into the equation.

Why Is Solitude Important?

It’s no secret that our world is a very distracting and fast paced place.

There is more information than ever on every single topic imaginable. There is now more access to different things.

Simply put: the world is fucking noisy.

It is possible to get to the point where you never spend any time alone and you just spend it reacting to various external stimuli.

You will never have time for self-care. You will never have time for your projects. You will never have time to think about your life and your place in it. You will never have time for yourself.

Your mental health will suffer, your social relationships will suffer, and you will just end up being a very miserable person.

Eventually, over the long term, if you never experience the power of being alone – you will experience what is called “solitude deprivation”, which is not a good state of affairs.

A Note on Solitude Deprivation

In his book Digital Minimalism, The author Cal Newport describes solitude as a “a state when you are away from the influence of other minds”.

Never getting away from the external influence of others bites into the power of being alone because without the ability to process the information you receive on a daily basis from your environment, you will become very confused.

Your ability to manage your mind will become diminished.

You will react and not respond. You will lack proactivity.

You will become someone who is easily influenced by others, easily rattled by events and situations, and eventually — you will become like a puppet on a string.

And like Stephen Covey said in his classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People;

…if you wait to be acted upon, you will be acted upon.

Don’t let this happen to you.

The Power of Being Alone (& It’s Importance + Benefits)

Now that we covered the stark downsides of never being alone, let’s cover the upsides, the benefits.

Time and Space to Operate

To illustrate this, let’s use an example. Let’s say you’re someone who works a regular 9-5 job. Your job is “alright”, but you don’t really love it.

You either want to quit your job entirely and find a new one or to start a side hustle.

If you want to do either one, you’ll need to focus. And to focus, you need some time alone to tap into the power of being alone.

Once you focus, you’ll then start to ask the questions:

• What’s really important to me?
• What do I want to do in the future?
• How do I start making progress on goals?

Without this alone time, you will never really hone in on these things.

Increased Ability to Concentrate

Let’s continue this example.

Let’s say you decide to start a job search for the ideal job or even start your own business.

When you create purposeful isolation and separation, you now have all this time to focus on finding the best job and building your business.

When you don’t carve out this time, things become much more difficult for you.

Sudden Insights

Things suddenly seem to “pop up” when you’re alone.

When you don’t have the constant chatter and noise of the outside world feeding you input all the time, your subconscious mind starts to go to work on solutions to problems.

This is how you have great insights.

How to Create Purposeful Isolation and Harness the Power of Being Alone

There are many ways to tap into the power of the power of being alone and general isolation. Here’s just a few ways you can start building this into your life.

1. Block out time

The only real way to access the power of being alone in your life is to create it. Without the purposeful carving out of time in your life, “anything” will fill up the space. What is “anything”?

• Movies and TV shows
• Celebrity gossip
• Mindless Internet browsing
• Family and friend obligations
• Miscellaneous drama
• Fill in the blank

Unless your day is scheduled, the alternative will always be some form of distraction to prevent the mental strain inherent in actual, constructive thinking.

2. Put away the distractions

If you want to benefit from alone time, you need to really be alone.

Once again, solitude is defined as the absence of input from other minds. This usually means stuff like music, podcasts, or [insert entertainment here] is not alone time.

Alone time is really done in three ways:

• Meditation/contemplation
• Working
• Daydreaming

The first allows you to hone your focus, the second allows you to be productive, and the third allows uncompressed time for you to think.

All of these are important in some way to mental health and the integrity of your mind.

This is a light version of monk mode.

3. Get on purpose

Unless you have a compelling reason for creating separation, you will not do it. And like the first point, it won’t happen on its own.

This is why setting goals is so important and how it can help bring you clarity to your days.

Purpose brings out the power of isolation.

Wrapping Up + Next Steps

Unstoppable Rise would not be possible without the power of being alone.

It is the result of many hours spent across many years of planning, ideation, and spontaneous insights. I vividly recall spending many weekend afternoons and evenings on this and other projects.

Despite this, I wasn’t a total hermit, either. I had many social obligations during the past 6 years, however, I purposefully made time and space for it. I had to seek out isolation. It didn’t come to me.

So what do you want to do? Do you want to start a side project? Build a business? Plan out your next 5 moves? If so, you’ll need to tap into the power of being alone to do it.

Purposefully block out time, put away your distractions, and get on purpose. Do these and I guarantee being alone will work out in your favor.

Have you used the power of being alone and general alone time to your advantage? If so, what was the result? Sound off in the comments.