Where Are You Sacrificing Your Freedom?
If I asked you, “How do you spend your days?”, you could probably tell me about your appointments, your to-do’s, and your mounting list of priority tasks that need to be accomplished.
But I’d also be willing to bet that if you honestly looked at how you spend your time, you could find quite a few instances where you either fritter away your time doing meaningless tasks, or tackle what seems urgent, but really isn’t important. (yes, there’s a reason that “Twitter” rhymes with “fritter“…)
Hey, it’s nothing personal. Everyone I know does it. The point is, though, what is it costing you? And, ultimately, what can you do about it?
When you’re not spending your time engaged in what really matters to you, it usually comes down to either:
a) faulty strategy, or
b) faulty self-management.
Let’s take a look at Strategy…
Having a faulty strategy is when the way you’ve arranged to do your work isn’t supporting you to work at your best, or, accomplish what you want. For you, that could be having a 35-hour workweek instead of a 60-hour one, or it could be to create continuously, without interruption, for a certain number of hours each day.
For example, are you clear on how many hours you need to put in each week to achieve your absolutely essential goals and actions? Do you even know what your absolutely essential goals and actions are?
And, how do you define “essential”, anyway? Are they the ones that make you the most money? Provide the deepest sense of personal connection? Build the strongest relationships? If you’ve got a “duh” look on your face right now, then I’d highly suggest getting clear on your purpose, goals, and the strategies you use to get you there.
And, Self-Management…
This is where most people are floundering the hardest. Why? Because you’ve probably read books before about how to fix your strategies, but there’s much less conversation happening about how to stay on target towards what you really want, and not let yourself off the hook when tackling your truly important (rather than the seemingly urgent) items brings up fear, hesitation, and procrastination.
I was watching an interview with Robert Scoble (the grandfather of the blogging world) and Tim Ferriss (author of the Four Hour Workweek) the other day, and Scoble said (I’m paraphrasing, since I didn’t transcribe it exactly), “[Freeing up your life to do what you love, when you want] sounds great, but I know there’s no way I could do it. I couldn’t control my impulses like that.”
I thought that was a great example of something 99.9% of us are saddled with: faulty self-management. It’s where we engage in activities that we know aren’t truly productive, because we do anyway. Why? Because we have a hard time doing what’s in line with our heart’s values in the face of fulfilling short-term desires.
When your internal voices rear their heads back and scream, “Have you checked your email yet this morning? What’s new on YouTube today? Any new posts from so-and-so in your feed reader?”, how do you respond? Are you able to hold your ground and stay focused on what’s truly important to you, or do you succumb to the interruption, and waste even more precious time?
Being able to have the perspective and focus that allows you to work in a state of clarity — in spite of whatever threatens your state of mind — is absolutely essential if you’re going to be able to follow through on the strategies you’re trying to set in motion, whatever they may be.
And really, what’s the alternative? Go on slogging your way through life, without focus or the ability to achieve the kind of life you’re working for?
Image by Morgana via Flickr, by Creative Commons license.
And thanks to all those who commented on the previous post so far: Liz Strauss, Ankesh Kothari, Jean Browman
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Great topic, even though I seem to be looking at things differently.
I posted a different approach on CheerfulMonk on June 25th. (http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=51) The title was Loving What You Do, and the basic idea was I trust myself. If I’m having trouble getting things done I figure I need a break, so I take it easy and try to figure out how I can enjoy the process.
I also don’t worry too much about digressions. In the July 1 post on my StressToPower blog (http://stresstopower.com/blog/2007/07/01/lifelong-learning/) I give examples of how you can’t always tell what will turn out to be useful. Again, I tend to trust myself.
I don’t feel that I’m slogging my way through life, or that I’m working toward a different kind of life. If I start feeling dissatisfied, I start with appreciating the rich life I have right now. That doesn’t keep me from doing new things, it just means I do them for the joy of the process, not for some future result.
Adam. This is great. Even though I’m fairly productive (some might say highly productive) I still fall into the trap of unproductive time – that “not controlling my impulses” bit that Scoble talked about – far too often. You’re right on that the solution begins with clarity. When you’re clear on what you want for your life and business it’s much easier to get clear about how long you need to devote to getting there.
I really love that you’re taking this topic deeper than just an exploration of time/task management techniques. Because it goes much deeper than that. I’ve been using Simpleology for over a year, and it’s dramatically improved my productivity. And, at the same time, I still fall into the Scoble’s trap. Fortunately, I’m getting much better at catching myself when I go there and pulling myself out.
It can be quite frustrating to watch myself checking email for the ten kazillionth time in the day and not feel quite able to stop myself.
When it gets really bad, I’ll often just get up and leave the office for a quick walk around the block or to just stand and soak up some sun. That usually gets me back on track and on task!
I think it’s important that we give ourselves permission to fritter, ramble, procrastinate, ramble, “waste” time. Some of my best work is done when I’m not doing anything productive.
Of course, we do have to have some discipline – but working at home as a “hired gun” provides great clarity and motivation. If I don’t work, I don’t eat.
Here’s something that helps me: 1. 1/2 hour “Zen” time every morning – no exceptions (Well, okay, sometimes I have to be out of the house for a breakfast meeting, but most days I’m on the back porch, drinking coffee and just not doing anything, other than watching the birds and the sky.) 2. Write three things on sticky note. 3. Do those three things that day.
It’s ironic that whole industries have sprung up around “simplification” isn’t it?
Amen to that, Mary!
Mary. I agree with the importance of fritter time. Yum! I sometimes call it positive procrastination. The danger lies in not being aware of when you are crossing the line into non-productive procrastination.
I tend to think about the day and try to be as efficient as possible. The exercise of really looking at how I spend my time is very useful for increasing my efficiency. I do think however, that it has a lot to do with your personality. While I tend to be a little up tight and concerned with my accomplishments, there are those like Mary that feel more comfortable and get more accomplished by pacing themselves and not overwhelming themselves. Which ever way works for you; it is more important to know what works. Great post and fantastic blog. I am a first time reader.
Edward,
“The danger lies in not being aware of when you are crossing the line into non-productive procrastination.” I could be wrong, but it seems to me that Mary is already living what Ferriss is saying. Don’t get hung up on how many hours you’re working. Focus on accomplishing what you need to do in order to live the life you want right now. Mary figures out what she needs to do each day and the rest of the day is her own to do what she pleases. She doesn’t have to be “productive” all the time. Efficiency isn’t a moral matter, it’s not a goal in itself, it’s just a way to get more freedom in your life. (Correct me if I misunderstand you, Mary.)
Apparently Scoble said,“[Freeing up your life to do what you love, when you want] sounds great, but I know there’s no way I could do it. I couldn’t control my impulses like that.” That statement reminds me of Neil Fiore’s “The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play.” As I recall, the basic idea is when we procrastinate it’s because part of us wants to enjoy life now. So allow plenty of time in your schedule for activities you love. So if you’re checking your e-mail a gazillion times a day the question is “Are you enjoying it? Is there something that would give you more pleasure?” That doesn’t mean you don’t do something for the future’s sake, it just means you don’t sacrifice the present to do it. My strategy is to try to figure out how to enjoy the process. One of my favorite quotes is Earnie Larson’s “There are few things more wonderful than knowing where you want to go and being on the path to getting there.”
Jean,
Yes, I do my best to live it – but, being human, some days I don’t get much done – crossing the line into sheer non-productivity. And, you know what? Somehow it all works out. What I really need to accomplish somehow always happens.
Figuring out how to enjoy the process is key. You are always going to have do some things you don’t like – the trick is seeing how it all fits together to enable a better quality of life. (I really don’t need to note that “better quality” isn’t the same as “more money”, do I?)
Jean, your original comment has interesting ideas, and the point is well taken… but I don’t think taking a break is always an option for people. They’d never get any work done if they stepped away from the desk whenever they felt a glitch come along.
I’d say, “trust yourself — and, know what part of yourself you’re listening to.”
I agree with Ed and Mary, that giving ourselves permission to unhook from time to time is necessary. But learning to head these inner saboteurs off at the pass is, I believe, essential to working consciously and letting your work be a part of your path of growth.
I also do something similar to Mary’s “zen” time, where I have a practice that helps me get centered, focused, and clear on where I need to go each day. It’s invaluable.
And like you’re saying, Josh, knowing yourself, your tendencies, and what ultimately works for you is a huge part of the puzzle. (And Josh, welcome to Monk at Work!)
Ultimately, I’m not advocating a “slave-driver” approach to productivity, of course. I’m simply saying that there’s more to having the work-flow you want than strategy; knowing how to not get derailed by procrastination voices (and all the others that throw us off our focus) is key.
Adam,
I guess I tend to be more enthusiastic and integrated than most people. When I was employed I was working a lot more than 40 hours a week. Not because I had to but because I loved it so much. So when my enthusiasm did wane, the most effective thing to do was to step back, take a bit of a break and recharge my batteries. In that case a change of scene was well warranted.
I’m a great advocate of psychosynthesis, so when I hear “procrastination voices” I never think of them as saboteurs. I welcome them, figure out what they’re trying to do for me and thank them. The process doesn’t have to take long at all. It’s mainly becoming aware of the conflict and reassuring the “procrastination voice” that it’s needs will be taken care of in due time. It’s like making a list of all the things you have to do so you don’t have to carry them around in your head, ruining your focus. As I understand it, that’s what Fiore was getting at in the Now Habit.
I’ve updated my own learning edge with a new project addressed solely at tapping creativity outside of the workplace.
http://dailytri.wordpress.com/2007/07/26/creative-relations/