One life. Don’t just exist – live it!
It is a new day!
Disclaimer: This weeks newsletter will start on a somber note but I promise it will be worth the read if you stick with me!
On Wednesday morning we received news of a dear friends passing. She was young and leaves so many of us pondering the meaning of a day, a week, a year. I found myself asking: am I living the most meaningful life I can?
To this accord, I delved into Oliver Burkeman’s book Four Thousand Weeks. This book takes a controversial view on productivity and life. I found this interesting because in a recent leadership session with a client, the CEO said something that was unexpected yet probably central to the reason his company is flourishing. We were speaking on the topic of goal setting and he said: “what is the point if you don’t enjoy the journey? Goals are moving targets. When one is done, there will always be another one.”
This struck me for two reasons: One, how much more fulfilling would our lives be if we would focus on what really matters on route to our goals?; and two, we can have a list as long as our arm of things we need \ want to accomplish, but do we ever stop and think “does this really matter in the bigger scheme of things?”
Bringing it back to Burkeman’s work. He suggests that the trap of productivity often leads to us feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I would suggest even meaningless, because there will always be things to do until there is no more time to do them (referring to the finite amount of time we have on this planet – on average 4 000 weeks or 77 odd years). But how do we start to move ourselves out of this mindset that is so addicted to being busy?
Here are a few key thoughts:
1. Establish (or re-evaluate) what is most important to you: Evaluate your goals and to-do lists and pick only 5 things (Max! 5 might even be too many for most) that you will focus on. You can only focus on a new task or goals once you have completed one of them or you have decided it should no longer be a priority. For example, prior to having kids one of my goals may have been to be a competitive athlete. Once I had kids my priorities shifted and I actively decided to devote less time to training and more to my kids (that being said I do believe there are people who can pursue both those goals – this is just where I am at). This helps me reduce the anxiety of feeling I am failing at being an athlete and rather accept that it is okay to actively choose to “fail” at certain goals temporarily in order to “win” at others. It make my journey more enjoyable.
2. Pay yourself first: Prioritise your most important tasks first thing in the morning. This will ensure they get done before your day becomes reactive and you need to start attending to everyone else’s priorities. Note: this might mean you have to start going to bed and getting up a bit earlier, which is unlikely to be a popular recommendation 😉
3. Limit work in progress – Burkeman suggests focusing on 3 projects at a time. Work will obviously be a continuous “project”, but you’ll also have things around the house and hobbies to do. In order to make any project feel more achievable, try to break them up into manageable tasks. I.e. if you want to climb a mountain it may look as follows: 1. Find a climbing coach 2. Book a climb 3. Set (and follow) a training schedule. The best way to eat an elephant has always been to take consistent bites (and chew properly).
4. See time off as time OFF: You would probably agree that we have even learnt to view our time off through the lens of productivity. He says that ancient philosophers understood the value of leisure, because they didn’t see it as a means to some other end. Rather it was an end to which everything else was worth doing. Introduce time to do nothing. No inherent goal. Start using your time off to just be. Be present, be mindful. Be with the people you care about. Be where your feet are. Just be.
In closing, we are always going to have things to do, places to be and goals to accomplish. When we liberate ourselves from the need to do it all at once and shift to get what matters most done, we can live more meaningful lives. And have a better chance of making a lasting impact in this world. Our time here is very finite, lets appreciate what we have and enjoy the journey!
Thank you for reading and letting me share what has been on my mind and heart. Have a very meaningful weekend.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
