You can’t make me wake up and prepare for the day,
through threats or rewards or anything you say.
You can’t make me study for the quiz or the test,
you can’t make me pay attention and do my best.
But you can nicely inquire about the songs I like,
or invite me out to to shop, see a movie or a hike.
Because building a union based on sincerity
will lead to a life full of jocularity
for you as well as for me.
This week, instead of clicking in on the news or net surfing (which always leaves me feeling rather deflated), I have done the following:
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?
Acceptance of what is real is one of the main precepts of freedom, according to the great spiritual thinkers. Most of us have not met complete inner peace because we resist reality. Our egos take over and react: We complain about things that “happen to us.”
Practicing full surrender to reality means accepting (completely) the fact that you have to take your car into the garage for the second time in two weeks (this time, to fix the tail lights).
It means that you are not disappointed or frustrated when technology fails, when your plane gets delayed or when you realize you sent the wrong email to the wrong person.
Full surrender means you accept that you just got canned and you’re now unemployed….you accept the sudden death of a loved one or that you lost your (fill-in-the-blank) competition.
If you can accept all that life brings you, then you are well on your way to true happiness.
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 Internet is abuzz with information, commercials, stunts, and opinions. Much of it is not helpful. When cultivating your own platform for media, be strong in your voice, in your stances and in your intention.
Simply pursuing followers and fame will lead to an absence of good intentions and common sense. For example, Monalisa Perez shot her YouTuber boyfriend Pedro Luiz III through a book he was certain would stop the bullet.
It is far more sweet to own your tiny corner of authenticity than to walk the stage of fraud.
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.
A year ago, I read the book “The $100 Startup.”
I hardly remembered what I read, but I recently listened to a podcast (Optimal Living Daily) where the podcaster reviewed this book. The big takeaway (among many) is that people spend an awful lot of time trying to blaze their own trails to success when they can simply follow someone who has already achieved what they want.
The reasoning, Justin (podcast host) believes, is because it feels good to try to create our own means and methods. But if you really want to achieve your goal(s), the most efficient way is to simply follow what someone already did.
This makes sense! Why reinvent the wheel?
We feel good and effective as we blaze our own trail, because we feel so busy.
But do not confuse “busy” with “productive.”
Check the podcast out, he covers many great writers and entrepreneurs. Justin’s voice is very even and mellow. It was easy to listen to as I walked my dog.
I unsubscribed an email I received the other day. And then another. I don’t even remember signing up for these emails. Sometimes, they are a hindrance. Solution: Unroll.me.
This is a free service. All you have to do is go to their website and submit your email address. You do have to allow them access to your contacts and email (of course) and they will process for a few seconds.
Result:
You pick and choose through your current subscriptions:
If you’re getting too many unwanted emails, check them out!
Periodically, they’ll tell you they found more subscriptions and you’ll get an opportunity to refresh and review. It’s a great way to quickly whittle your inbox down!
I’ve had my share of jobs in my career and consequently, many bosses. I’ve had a couple excellent managers and too many bad ones.
What’s a bad boss? Well, I had one who actually spied on my group while we we met to see if we were working. She treated us like children. She rarely praised anyone yet openly criticized us. As a result, most of us acted like children. When she was off-site, some of her employees came to work late, left early and goofed off during extra long breaks. She didn’t treat us like professionals, so (most of us) did not act like professionals.
One of the best bosses/supervisors I’ve ever had just retired. He treated us like professionals. He believed we were experts in our areas. He gave us respect and in turn, we respected him. He was unshakeable. If a “crisis” occurred, he handled it, with class and if possible, with humor.
Leaders ought to carry themselves the way they want their “followers” to behave. They exude confidence in themselves and their employees/civilians. They are astute observers and possess strong people skills. They do not speak ill of anyone (even opponents or competitors). Instead, they emphasize the positive and instill optimism within their team.
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.
Kismet 