Imagine a glass full of water scooped up from a puddle in a field. It’s muddy and swirling around – rather like our daily lives, full of activity and messiness and life! But if you put that glass of water down and let it sit, it clears itself. STILLNESS allows the dirt to settle to the bottom and the water to clear.
Productivity is more than just DOING.
To be MOST productive we need a few moments, seconds or minutes, where we PAUSE, allow our thoughts to clear and reflect on what we’ve done – and what’s best to do next.
Just having our “To Do” list is NOT enough.
Every day we get caught up in a whirlwind of choices and activities. Even routine activities have choices attached to them – what to have for breakfast, do we watch TV or listen to the radio, what salad dressing should we choose? Our brains fill up. We get distracted. We lose focus. And even if we don’t, life has a habit of – well – happening!
So, we MUST make time – to sit still. To pause and reflect. In that clearing of our minds we see what is most important. We see what we can let go of, what we can delegate, what we need to change, what we can say no to – and what we need to say yes to. The stillness allows us to ADAPT our plans and actions to the reality of what actually happens in our lives.
So, it’s AS important to find stillness regularly – to pause and reflect – as it is to plan.
And the great thing is that the stillness or pausing part (which so many of us skip!) is often shorter, easier and more pleasant than the planning itself!
How long does it take you to take 5-10 deep breaths? How hard is it for you to stare out of the window and let your brain settle? One minute? Two?
How Can You Pause and Find Stillness?
Well, stop rushing from one thing to the next. Do:
- Take the opportunity between your tasks and appointments.
- Pause at the breaks between your personal life and work life – the beginning, lunchtime and at the end of the day.
- Have a short break when you get your cup of coffee or tea.
- Just PAUSE for no good reason!
And don’t fill every spare minute with:
- Facebook, your email or starting the next task.
- Reading articles and cramming your mind with more information.
Instead sit still and breathe. Stare out of the window. Let the dirt settle and wait for your muddy mind to clear.
I guarantee you that you will be more at peace and more productive.
