Last week I wrote about the tricks we tend to play on ourselves, when we want to obstruct productivity. Yes, a part of us wants to make progress on various goals, but the other part of us would rather pretend.
To make matters worse…we are constantly fighting forces that desire to rent out space in our brains.
Shiloh talks about that on her blog. Ronna also expresses what I feel are some of the fundamental forces that keep us from being truly productive.
So How Do We Get Real & Take Back Our Time?
It Starts With Love
Better yet, call it obsession. There’s no greater focusing agent than to be on fire for something greater than yourself. Something you simply feel compelled to do. Called. Scared even…yet you stumble forward anyway.
This requires getting to know who you are.
How well do you know yourself?
This is the gas…needed to light yourself on fire, and as the saying goes…they will come from miles around to watch you burn. For me…what gives that blaze longevity is rooting that obsession in a continuing quest to understand the truth about life.
Any career, profession, or dream that operates outside of this philosophical foundation tempts burnout…distraction, mediocrity, or at worse – failure. But that’s just me…
For me, the drive to be more productive doesn’t exist in a vacuum. I need it to be connected, and fueled, by something deeper. A huge WHY.
Start An Information Diet
We have enemies. Some are outside. Some within. They come as a laundry list of messages and interruptions we get during a typical day. The TV, Radio, cell phone, computer, that magazine just laying there, books, road signs, people. We gotta get gangsta about our mission. Intentional. And in order to focus, somethings may have to go.
For me…
- I cut TV(except for specific predetermined events or shows that I think may be beneficial, or just interesting.) This monster has teeth. And it feeds on time.
- I got a FREE google number, in order to screen random phone calls a bit better.
- We can’t keep trying to remember, and organize the overload of information that crosses our path each day. Especially if you are trying to manage more than just your personal life. I’ve used organizers, planners, and anything I could find to scribble something on. Check out Springpad for a great example.
- I keep a copy of my mission with me at all times. Sort of my living breathing manifesto. It’s occasionally updated, and helps keep the ship on course.
- And when my computer, or life, starts filling up with a million tabs…I started setting a timer on my phone, that rings every hour…and jolts me back to the predetermined task at hand. It helps me tighten my grip around those oh so slippery seconds and minutes of the day.
Developing A Tighter Routine
I’m terrible at this. Straight up. The Harvard Business Review says it’s because our mind craves the dopamine that the next new thing gives us. I do have my mornings set up pretty well. I get up. Make a “bringing sexy back” green smoothie. Meditate on the plan. Go for a walk/run. Then sometime between showering and one of my evening tutoring appointments, I meander through productive actions mixed with sporadic moments of wondering where the time went.
Like I said…I’m working on this one. For now…If I can start the day off the right way…I’m pretty much set. I have energy, clarity, and know what it is I would like to accomplish that day, and how it relates to the big vision.
Personal Development & Health
Don’t trip. One needs Personal Development. My brother often reminds me: Work harder on yourself than you do your business. Whatever our definitions of happiness, or success, we will discover that it is us who often get in our own way. And change takes time.
When it comes to health my achilles heal is sleep and exercise. I’m making incredible strides in eating better. And I’m currently at a mile jog every day. But in order to maximize the energy needed to best attack the hustle the next day…I really need to take my insomnia wannabe behind to bed earlier. Ariana Huffington talks about the importance of sleep here.
Find Your Place
Homes are cozy…living rooms often surround the big screen. Bedrooms usually have soft pillows. But what space makes you feel creative. What makes you feel like cranking out your hustle. The library? The coffee place? The park bench next to river? That comfortable chair w/ the donut hole in the bathroom?
I’ve nailed it down, and have come to terms with the fact that I gotta make an appointment with that place, in order to really get in the zone. Facing the truth about your productivity hot spot is the beginning of getting that fire going. Let’s get it.
Written by Veron Graham
Topics: Blog