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“You’re so smart, why can’t you just…?”
“You’re so smart, why can’t you just…?”
What a painful half-compliment.
If only there were a simple switch to make it all come together…
How many times have you heard?:
“You’re so creative. You’re so bright. Why can’t you get your act together?”
That half-compliment can hurt.
What if they’re right? Maybe you are bright, but you’ve never have been able to figure out where you stumble.
Maybe you even know you have potential, but you keep tripping and falling.
You try, you stub your toe, pick that one thing up, and find yourself in a flow of organizing until you’re spent. You collapse on the couch once again, and wait for the next painful cycle to return.
It’s not about forcing yourself. It’s not about “trying harder”. And my goodness does the phrase “work smarter” annoy me.
It’s important to be able to let go and be free in play and flow, that wonderful state where you’re fully engaged and making things happen.
But it’s also important to learn how and where to make decisions in the flow of your day.
You may be exhausted, having tried one system or one app after the next. Nor will you find it in a top ten list.
The wish to find that one thing to make it better, that one stick to pull that will let the dam free, is so understandable.
The search itself can feel like part of the exhaustion.
But we can realize also see the work as a practice. Even better, we can design exercises to deliberately start small, build, and let go.
When we do, we begin moving beyond the scared position of letting ourselves and others down and into the practice of creativity we already have within ourselves.
– Kourosh
PS The Waves of Focus presents exercises to help you build the trusted systems that move you away from anxiety-based systems, towards ones that allow and even nourish creativity. Get 20% off until this Friday.
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.
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.
Productivity Journal
A Guiding Principle of Task Management
A guiding principle of any solid task management solution is a clear mind. For example, the popular productivity solution Getting Things Done focuses on what it would take to honestly clear the mind, and then designing our environments and systems accordingly. Read...
Each Moment
We can decide to move forward with some decision - some action. In that process, we lose many possibilities and potentially gain something. Paralyzing, invigorating, each person reacts differently, resonating character from the past into the present.
Happy Holidays
While waiting in line recently, I overheard a conversation: -- An individual drew attention from others nearby with his loud, though not too loud, voice. The person with whom he spoke did not seem acquainted. "How are you doing?" the boisterous gentleman asked....
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These products use or are based on Getting Things Done® or GTD® Principles. They are not affiliated with, approved or endorsed by David Allen or the David Allen Company, which is the creator of the Getting Things Done® system for personal productivity. GTD® and Getting Things Done® are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company For more information on the David Allen Company’s products the user may visit their website at www.davidco.com.