This week we are settling in for the long haul. The long haul of the new normal that is likely never going back to normal.
You would think that with nowhere to go we would be super productive.
- Why are we not working out 2.5 hours a day?
- Why haven’t we cleaned the house?
- Writing that book or started that newsletter?
- Why aren’t we doing more with the hours gained with no commute?
In my quest to be productive when my home is now my office and classroom, in addition to my place for food, family, and sleep, have the scales tipped towards utter madness?
I heard from one of my coaching teachers that if you are tired, sleep. In this time of change, read your body and your mind, and do what it is telling you to do.
I hit a road block on Thursday. Slammed with a never-ending to-do list from creating lifelines for our home improvement business, to running my coaching business to managing our office move. I hit a brick wall. I just kept trying to DO, and nothing of merit was getting done.
I had to remind myself to do the best I can. In that moment of madness, I just needed to do nothing at all.
Now more than ever we must abandon the expectations of performance and embrace authentically what our mind and spirit needs.
STOP trying to be productive.
START listening to what you need and feel.
Make it a peace offering to yourself.
STOP comparing yourself to others on Instagram.
START listening to what your body and mind needs.
CONTINUE by going slow to go fast again when the mind is ready.
Let slowness distract you. Let it change how you see your day. Let it give you the courage to be your best self. Given time, you will reset to the new crisis conditions, and your ability to do higher-level work will resume.
Things that help are daily habits. Meditate. Journal. Exercise. Go take a walk – even if it is raining. (These 3 things are what the most successful people from Warren Buffet to Oprah do each day).
Start with the easy tasks first. Action is the best way to control your mind and become meaningfully productive.
On the other side of this shift, your wonderful, creative, resilient brain will be waiting for you. Taking care of you will take care of being productive.