Without great solitude no serious work is possible. -Pablo Picasso
productivity
Time is Money
My biggest inefficient use of time: preparing food for the family.
I grocery shop, of course, but I rarely think past the next meal or two. Consequently, I stress out a bit 5x/week, deciding what to cook for dinner and what to pack for lunch. We get Blue Apron delivered 2x/week (skipping weeks where the recipes are not to our family’s liking), but then we’re either out and about and I buy the kids dinner (can’t be helped – they go to symphony practice straight from school and don’t get home until 8 or 9pm.) Or I am too tired and fussy and we eat something which I cook in a groggy state. Sometimes, it tastes halfway decent.
This Sunday, I am going to plan the entire week ahead of time, prepare it, and freeze it.
This will free up time during the weekdays (our busiest days!) and lessen stress.
I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind for a long time, but I’ve always countered it with I don’t want to cook all day Sunday. However, I’m using those hours (Monday – Friday) when I’m at my most fatigued.
I am going to use recipes from this book:
But I’m not sharing the title with my family. Knowing it’s healthy, they’ll decide they don’t like the meals before they even eat!
Choosing Accountability is Empowering
“The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.”
R.D. Laing
Producing
You gain a follower. You are so happy! And then you lose one. Or two.
You play in a tennis tournament and make several unforced errors that cost you the match.
You stutter and stammer during the most important business meeting of the year. You’re sure you didn’t clinch this deal.
The feeling of disappointment is hard for you to shake.
Recently, a couple was found guilty of stealing from Amazon.com: $1.2 million! Was Jeff Bezos was up late at night, worrying about it? Was he fixated on this one event, wondering why? No. He’s got the holiday shopping season, Whole Foods and new centers to build and maintain. He’s got “people” (lawyers) to handle the problems. He stays on-task.
This pertains to work and relationships: focus on progress (which leads to the ultimate goal). The subscriber count, the meeting and the competition are just one metric in each sphere of work.
Keep on keeping on!
Consider Other Options
This week, instead of clicking in on the news or net surfing (which always leaves me feeling rather deflated), I have done the following:
- given myself a pedicure;
- jogged with my daughter (twice);
- worked on my blog;
- taken a bubble bath;
- meditated;
- had brunch with a friend;
- updated my “goals” list; and
- started a draft of my mind map
This change made me feel energized and productive, not anxious and deflated.
I wonder…what would happen if I quit the “news/Internet surfing habit” permanently?
Sweet Roll
E is for Eclairs
I ate an eclair almost every day that I was pregnant
For both pregnancies
The fog blanketed our San Francisco home
Downing hot green tea with the french pastry,
I, a lifelong member of the “Am I Doing Enough?” Club,
was finally relaxed
despite the fact that the budding life
– fueled by choux and cream –
was taxing my stretch pants
*this blog post is part of the alphabiography project
*Dictionary.com word origin for eclair:
n.
Apps Used to Stand for Appetizers
Apps have become so ubiquitous that we joke, “There’s an app for that.”
And yes, technology can help you achieve your goals and it can entertain you, but when it comes to creating art or work or works of art, there is no substitute for the consistent effort and focus on it.
Sitting under a tree, pondering nature all around you…that is how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity. So legend has it.
Objective and careful observation of nature, our pets, our loved ones is how we will help society. Sustained effort for the greater good is what will be effective. Apps and other technology alone won’t do it.
The Big 5
A simple tool I learned from Tim Ferriss which has kept my day in alignment to my (true) goals:
Write the 5 most important tasks on an index card each morning. At the end of the day, discard the card and the next morning, begin again.
In this day and age of highly distractible events, it helps me stay focused on the most important tasks I want to accomplish.
Efficiency Tip
Remove Facebook from your phone.
You’ve probably heard that if you’re trying to lose weight or get healthy, you should not keep junk food in the house. Will power is depletable. That is, it will work for a certain amount of time before you will inevitably give in.
In the same vein, if you want to be productive, don’t keep time wasters so easily accessible.
Consider replacing that app with a productivity or inspiring podcast you can listen to during down times. Or install a reading app such as Kindle or Audible.
Set yourself up for success.
2 Small Actions = Major Transformation
I made a couple changes this year and they’ve led to greater productivity (published my first book, lost a couple pounds and enjoyed more quality time with family). I thought I’d share them with you:
- Create an Intentions List, not a “To Do” List. Reflecting on your intentions (as opposed to “tasks”) ensures your actions are aligned to your deepest values. When you sit down to enumerate all the things you want to get done, think about your intentions. Is it your intention to help others? Bring joy to loved ones? Be creative at work? This line of questioning will lead to precise calibration of your actions to your ultimate goals.
- Make your first intention task easy and simple. Crossing a task off your list will light up the rewards center of your brain. It gives you a natural boost! Start the day off with an (easy) sense of accomplishment. Set yourself up for success!
Kismet 