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The Novelty Hamster Wheel

The Novelty Hamster Wheel

by | Oct 18, 2024 | , , ,

Trying to Force Ourselves

“I can’t get anything done unless there’s a deadline or I’m interested in it already…”

For some of us, it doesn’t seem to matter how much we organize ourselves or arrange our tasks. If we’re not interested, getting started can be a struggle.

Poking at “Novelty”

One method of trying to “trick” ourselves is to seek novelty. In fact, it’s often a suggested method. Examples include finding a new coffee shop in which to work, using new pens and paper, trying a new app, etc.

While these can work for the short term, such methods wear out. By definition, novelty loses its luster. The usual follow up suggestion is to go find another.

Beyond the potential paths of procrastination this introduces, I have another trouble with the word “novelty”. At least to my ears, novelty connotes a meaninglessness, a shiny-ness for its own sake, like a toy meant to hold our attention only for the sake of holding attention.

Discovery

There are things that entertain. But then there are those that engage and stir us to learn, find, and *discover*. They connect us to something that feels real.

Give a young child a set of toy plastic keys and they are entertained for a moment or two. Give them a set of real keys and suddenly there’s a real interest. They can inherently feel that it has meaning and connections that go beyond itself.

The same principle applies to adults. The difference is that we must find such toys within our work.

Give me a thing to do… but it can’t be BS, busy work, or otherwise meaningless.

While fantasy plays its part, when it comes to engaging the world, a wandering mind often craves a sense of what is real, of sincerity.

In this vein, rather than “novelty”, I much prefer the word discovery.

Discovery carries a connotation of strength, innovation, power, thought, reflection, and new understandings. It is something that can bring new vistas to self and world.

Discovery is a path to Play that carries *meaning*.

When next struggling with a piece of work, beyond seeking novelty, why not consider what you can discover within it?

– Kourosh

What is Productivity?

Productivity is many things. For some, it is about doing a lot in a little time.
But, truly, productivity is so much more. It is about:

  • Setting yourself up for success.
  • Being focused where you want to be.
  • Doing things that you find meaningful.
  • Being creative, sometimes even in harsh environments.
  • Forging your own paths.
  • Finding your voice and delivering it well.
  • Knowing and actively deciding on your obligations.
  • Knowing where and how to say “no”.
  • Avoiding procrastination.

Too often, many of us fall into just going along with and fighting whatever the world throws at us. “Go with the flow!”, we say. Meanwhile, we might think, “I’d like to do that one thing. Maybe one day I will.” The days go by. The goal never arrives, and then we wonder why or blame circumstance.

But when we learn to take charge of our lives and the world
around us, we start living life with intention.

“I should do that,” becomes “This is how I start”. Deliberately forging a path to our goals and dreams, we figure out what we want in life and then start taking steps there.

Of course, striking out may seem scary. It takes courage to live life with purpose and on purpose. Roadblocks and worries, fears and concerns show up everywhere.

This is my passion. I want to help you to find that sense of your own unique play to meet the world so that you can:

  • Create a life that is yours.
  • Find and follow an inner guide in a way that works for you and those you care for.
  • Decide on your obligations and meet them while building the world you want.

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