Flame of Hope

I am too busy enjoying the summer to write content, but not too busy to share what great content that comes my way – enjoy

Posted: 21 Jul 2010 11:01 AM PDT

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mary Jaksch of Goodlife ZEN.
Do you want to be more productive? Maybe you do, but I’m sure you don’t want to feel stressed, overwhelmed, or unhappy – which happens to many super-productive people. But there is good news:

You can be insanely productive – and still smell the freesias, savor a Pinot Noir, or enjoy a languid hug.

A few weeks ago Leo Babauta said to me, “Mary – you’re one of the most productive people I know. And you still keep smiling and seem so relaxed. How do you do it?”

Most stuff I’ve read about productivity is about doing things differently. Like getting up at 4 a.m. each morning, or drinking eight liters of water a day, or keeping a notebook under the pillow. Sorry, folks – I don’t do any of those things.

High productivity isn’t about doing, it’s about being.

If you want to be highly productive – and still enjoy life – you need to look at how you live, and how you use your mind. Check out the following five suggestions:

1.  Make peace within.
Most people live in a constant state of inner conflict and suffer from a barrage of negative thoughts that sabotage productivity.

Here’s a scenario: Imagine that your car has landed in a ditch. A group of helpers gather, attach ropes and start to pull the car out. Unfortunately, they’re not all pulling in the same direction. Some try to pull the car toward the road, whereas others try to pull it deeper into the ditch. It’s absurd.

That’s exactly what happens when we’re divided within: everything is a struggle, nothing much happens, and it’s frustrating. But what if your mind, body, and soul are all aligned?

When our energy is aligned, we are in a state of flow.

When we’re at peace within, and immersed in the task at hand – without negative thoughts sabotaging our productivity – action becomes effortless. We’re able to achieve much more in less time. And with more enjoyment.

Tip: Wear an elastic wristband. Whenever you notice negative thoughts, change your wristband to the other arm. This will help you to create and maintain peace within.

2.  Go to your edge. Regularly.
Most people use only a fraction of their capacity and try to save personal energy. For example, we’re tempted to rest when we feel tired in order to recover our zest for life. Wrong move! The more energy you spend, the more you have.

Tiredness can signal many things. If you’re healthy, it may mean that you are bored, frustrated, lack movement, or need more oxygen. Or maybe conflict within has sapped your energy. It’s important to go to your limits regularly. Take up running, martial arts, swimming, or other activities – there are many way to exercise vigorously.

Tip: If you feel exhausted or lethargic, go for a brisk walk in order to rev up your energy and restore your spirit.

3.  Take action.
Most people aren’t productive because they don’t take action. They have dreams and even plans – but they don’t follow through. Negative thoughts can derail action. It may be that you have doubts about your ability, or that you listen to others who doubt you.

Tip: Look at what you would like to achieve and ask yourself, “What is the smallest step in the direction of my dreams that I can take right now?” Then take that baby step. Now.

4.  Do what you love.
Think about how you spend your time. Do you enjoy your work, or is it a grind? I’ve changed my life, and what I’m passionate about has now become my work: I teach my Zen students, and also work together with Leo to mentor bloggers in the A-list Blogger Club .

A few days ago my partner David knocked at the door of the little cabin in the garden where I work:

“Mary,” he said, “ do you realize it’s 10 o’clock at night – and you’re still working?”
“I’m not working!” I shot back. “I’m enjoying myself!”

Yes, when the boundary between work and play gets blurred, you may actually work more – but it feels like you’re just having fun.

Tip: Follow your dreams – even if it’s only for ten minutes a day.

Love what you do.
We can’t always do what we love. But we are free to love what we do. From a Zen perspective, there is a way to turn even the dullest chore into pleasurable activity through mindfulness.When we pay tender regard to our present experience – letting go of all thoughts and judgments – even the most mundane action can become pleasurable. Mindfulness doesn’t mean watching yourself, it means being fully present, moment by moment.

Tip: In order to become mindful, notice sensations of the moment. What sounds can you hear? How are your feet connected with the ground? What does your skin feel like?

5.  Finally, a key question you need to ask …

If you want to be productive and still enjoy life, there is a key question you need to answer: why be productive?

I mean, why not just chill out on the couch, eat potato crisps, and watch TV reruns? That might be fine. But what about the oblong box we’re all going to end up in?

I remind myself every morning that life is short and mine may be over by nightfall. That gives me the the desire to taste and enjoy each moment. It also adds a measure of calm urgency because I want to leave a mark upon the world. Do you?

If so, mindful productivity will help you create a life that offers both pleasure and productivity. You’ll achieve more, and you’ll still keep smiling. That smile will light up not only your own life, but also the lives of those around you.

You don’t have to be a super-hero. Simply make peace within and live each moment fully. That’s all.

Mary Jaksch is a Zen Master and blogger. Head over to Goodlife Zen for more of her articles. And visit the A-List Blogger Club.

Hi everyone, well so far we have covered a lot of ground.  You may want to go back and do some review.

• This series “Teen Career Insurance” is being created for parents and grandparents of teens who are in the process of deciding what to do with the next phase of their lives – that period after High School.  It can be a very difficult time if they do not know who they really are, what they really want to do, where to do it and have the resources they need to begin.  This is why I created “Career Teen Insurance” so you can protect and insure you teen’s future.
• This series is about your coaching your teens, planting seeds, exploring possibilities and discoveries about Who I Am, What I Want; What I am Good at – thus Insuring your teen’s future success.
• There is always a cost involved in getting it wrong, but a bigger cost in leaving it to chance.  There are some interesting facts in my blog, but it costs about $20, 000 per year to send your teen to college at a public university in your state, more for out of state and more yet for a private university.  So what if they do not want to go to college, well that is fine – so what do they want to do?  What will they be most successful doing?  What career areas best match up with their strengths, interests, gifts and talent?  I often talk to graduating seniors on Careers Day, and it has been my experience that many do not know what they want to do, yes they have invested in a career direction, but do not feel comfortable choosing a career – guess what?  After five or ten years of work, these college graduates still do not know – they know they are not satisfied with what they are doing, but now they have invested a lot of years as well as the cost of a degree – they often are afraid to try something new – something they are better suited for and will be more successful and fulfilled doing.  So what is the answer?  Invest as early as possible in Career Insurance – the lessons I have included and are yet to come.  It all comes down to making an informed choice based on your own set of gifts, talents and strengths etc.
• It is my belief that each of us was born with a purpose and that purpose includes an ideal career path that is just right for each individual – you have the special gifts and talents, strengths, interests and personality for a reason – to fulfill your purpose.  It is your job in life to discover what it is and to Live Your Purpose.  So how do I find it? Ha, now we are getting somewhere.  I have outlined the topics and suggested that the parent or grandparent coach their teen, by planting seeds of possibility – letting the teen discover “Who they are, to what purpose and using what they have learned to find the career path that fits their unique Self.
• I have given you some tools to help the process along:
  • What are feelings and what do they have to do with anything?
  • Developing a baseline of feelings to see how satisfied they are with their lives right now.
  • A wheel of life to see how to look at the pieces of their lives – something they will use over and over to discover how they feel, what they are good at, what they value etc – lots of self discovery by looking at the pieces.
  • Are you ready or have you already begun?  Need some help – I am here, but are you up to the challenge?  Will you leave this critical decision to chance?  I spent a lifetime discovering my real life purpose – wouldn’t it be great to find out now?  Would it be nice to escape making all the same mistakes we have all made when it comes to a career?  Jump back in and start swimming, I will be your champion for success and life guard.

Think Career Teen Insurance is a joke?  Well take a look at”

Waiting for Superman trailer Watch a clip from the movie

Read these Washington state education statistics developed by TAF: http://blogs.techaccess.org/medialab/2010/06/10/taf-summer-reading-list/  My wife and I have volunteered at TAF and they are on the right track for education.