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Turning away from Anxiety-Based Task Systems & Announcing Waves of Focus

Turning away from Anxiety-Based Task Systems & Announcing Waves of Focus

Dear Readers,

  • Getting into things may seem difficult without “the right conditions”, where the stars align and you can finally do that thing you’d been putting off.
  • Maybe you struggle to manage scatter, where decisions weigh you down, leaving you paralyzed.
  • Often the productivity tip *du jour* just doesn’t cut it, not helping you engage, leaving you without any sense of *meaningful* accomplishment.

One trouble you may have is an anxiety-based system.

Constantly measuring by what’s due next, fearing what you might be missing, forcing yourself to work for set periods of time, setting false due dates, and the like are all evidence of an anxiety-based system.

Further, these methods also contribute and worsen the anxiety of that system.

Did I miss something? Well maybe I should just worry more.

Notice how when such systems fall apart, it’s immediately followed by some desperately needed moment of relaxation, exploration, or “freedom” from whatever todo list that continues to scream as it decays.

A better system is one that allows the range of emotions, one that might even foster play, one that doesn’t beg for false deadlines, while still accommodating the realities we all live in.

Those with wandering minds, whether the creative, the curious, the lost in time, or those caught in the currents of ADHD, often inadvertently fall into these anxiety-based systems.

It’s a struggle to know any other way. And it’s a struggle to get out.

Moving to a system that allows for discovery, play, and smooth sailing is not impossible, but it does require practice.

To get there, consider the newly re-imagined, Waves of Focus: Guiding the Wandering Mind, opening on May 5th.

Consider these testimonials from previous cohorts:

“The course has not only given me a few tools, but has actually given me the means to leverage those tools into a system that will allow me to process what really is almost 50 years worth of accumulated desires that are represented by reams of post-its, papers, notebooks, etc. which I’ve been carrying around … and that’s been, as I say to everyone who asks, a life changer. I wake up happy, and I have not done that for most of my life.

— Kirby

I had never understood why other people could do everything on time in an orderly way, while I was a victim of deadlines and overflowing inbox lists.

… After years of trying multiple time management methods and applications, I have finally started to improve my productivity thanks to this course.

— Juan

The philosophy and tools introduced here were and are incredibly helpful. I think about them and use them throughout the day. What struck me with the cohort was what accomplished, brilliant and productive people identified with having a wandering mind and struggled with many of the same things I do. I learned so much from the others in our group. This approach seems like a basic life skill for me that I didn’t get until now. Thank you!

— Beverly

I hope to see you there!

– 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.

Productivity Journal

Testing the Program

  Hi Everyone, I am a test post. Though, I am currently being written by Kourosh, I will have been completed by the time you read this. He is writing me using MarsEdit, and feels the need to write something. So here I am. Though, as a post, I am not sentient, I...

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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.

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