Discussion Forum > How do you define being “productive”?
Off the top of my head, I think of "productivity" as "getting the desired results".
November 13, 2013 at 20:08 |
Seraphim
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Doing need not be producing.
Staring at the clouds is doing, but not producing. There is great value in it, but no producing. The day can have high value and meaning with little production.
Also, I sometimes think I know what I want but create some other result. I believe that is becuase my thinking, feeling and doing are not aligned with what I want. So I want to harmonise thinking and feeling with doing, so that I get experiences I want. I think a key element needs to be to pause and evaluate what I am doing to see what is my motivation. The system should direct me to what I LIKE to do (and maybe not produce), (rather than fulfilling expectations from others or those I place upon myself of what I should do or produce).
This puts attention and awareness on what is actually occurring – not what I anticipate could occur, not concerning myself with the next action in the next moment - becoming present and more calm, trusting it.
How shall I tweak "seedbed" to achieve this?
Staring at the clouds is doing, but not producing. There is great value in it, but no producing. The day can have high value and meaning with little production.
Also, I sometimes think I know what I want but create some other result. I believe that is becuase my thinking, feeling and doing are not aligned with what I want. So I want to harmonise thinking and feeling with doing, so that I get experiences I want. I think a key element needs to be to pause and evaluate what I am doing to see what is my motivation. The system should direct me to what I LIKE to do (and maybe not produce), (rather than fulfilling expectations from others or those I place upon myself of what I should do or produce).
This puts attention and awareness on what is actually occurring – not what I anticipate could occur, not concerning myself with the next action in the next moment - becoming present and more calm, trusting it.
How shall I tweak "seedbed" to achieve this?
November 16, 2013 at 13:08 |
michael
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michael:
<< How shall I tweak "seedbed" to achieve this? >>
That would be rather going against the whole point of it, which is to produce results that you *weren't* expecting.
<< How shall I tweak "seedbed" to achieve this? >>
That would be rather going against the whole point of it, which is to produce results that you *weren't* expecting.
November 16, 2013 at 13:33 |
Mark Forster
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> @Mark re: unexpected results from using "Seedbed"
I imagine this quoute of your from 2009 would capture the spirit of it:
“Our whole life is an attempt to discover when our spontaneity is whimsical, sentimental irresponsibility and when it is a valid expression of our deepest desires and values.”
Helen Merell Lynd
I imagine this quoute of your from 2009 would capture the spirit of it:
“Our whole life is an attempt to discover when our spontaneity is whimsical, sentimental irresponsibility and when it is a valid expression of our deepest desires and values.”
Helen Merell Lynd
November 18, 2013 at 10:23 |
michael
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The above sentiment strikes me as similar to what Keats called "negative capability"
"...the ability to contemplate the world without the desire to try and reconcile contradictory aspects or fit it into closed and rational systems.'"
That is, when one is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” Decisions are made from the heart. Westerners tend to believe that humans are rational creatures who make decisions logically, using our brains. But in Chinese, the word for “mind” and “heart” are the same.
It might also be regarded as the "power of pauses"
“Stillness is our most intense mode of action. It is in our moments of deep quiet that is born every idea, emotion, and drive which we eventually honor with the name of action. We reach highest in meditation, and farthest in prayer. In stillness every human being is great.” — Leonard Bernstein, composer of “West Side Story”
"...the ability to contemplate the world without the desire to try and reconcile contradictory aspects or fit it into closed and rational systems.'"
That is, when one is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” Decisions are made from the heart. Westerners tend to believe that humans are rational creatures who make decisions logically, using our brains. But in Chinese, the word for “mind” and “heart” are the same.
It might also be regarded as the "power of pauses"
“Stillness is our most intense mode of action. It is in our moments of deep quiet that is born every idea, emotion, and drive which we eventually honor with the name of action. We reach highest in meditation, and farthest in prayer. In stillness every human being is great.” — Leonard Bernstein, composer of “West Side Story”
November 18, 2013 at 10:54 |
michael
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michael:
I'm not sure that what you're saying is quite what I mean. It's more that when one takes action in a situation, the situation changes and develops in ways which would be difficult to predict. Action is the key.
I'm not sure that what you're saying is quite what I mean. It's more that when one takes action in a situation, the situation changes and develops in ways which would be difficult to predict. Action is the key.
November 18, 2013 at 11:56 |
Mark Forster
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Mark: certainly, action - especially when aligned to feeling and thinking for "harmonised doing".
AND a good relationship to The Source of all ideas - which mainly consists of taking time to listen, inwardly (!), moving yourself to the same perspective as The Source Of Good Ideas -THEN acting on what you're feeling enthusiastic about (where possible). That's because feeling is emotion, energy in motion, and when it feels good it's you aligned.
AND a good relationship to The Source of all ideas - which mainly consists of taking time to listen, inwardly (!), moving yourself to the same perspective as The Source Of Good Ideas -THEN acting on what you're feeling enthusiastic about (where possible). That's because feeling is emotion, energy in motion, and when it feels good it's you aligned.
November 18, 2013 at 19:11 |
michael
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michael:
I still think you're not saying quite the same as I intended. Action *is* the source of good ideas (I don't feel the need to capitalize that).
If you want to put it in religious terms, then the Artist's Prayer:
"Lord, if I provide the quantity, you will provide the quality".
I still think you're not saying quite the same as I intended. Action *is* the source of good ideas (I don't feel the need to capitalize that).
If you want to put it in religious terms, then the Artist's Prayer:
"Lord, if I provide the quantity, you will provide the quality".
November 18, 2013 at 19:43 |
Mark Forster
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Your article http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2006/9/14/making-decisions.html is interesting in this respect.
You argue that decisions make themselves.
"Until they have got reasons that are completely iron-cast they hold themselves back from making the decision. In fact what is happening is that they are not trusting their unconscious processes to make the decision that is right for them at the time that is right."
I came across a quote by Byron katie : "We never make a decision. When the time is right, the decision makes itself."
You argue that decisions make themselves.
"Until they have got reasons that are completely iron-cast they hold themselves back from making the decision. In fact what is happening is that they are not trusting their unconscious processes to make the decision that is right for them at the time that is right."
I came across a quote by Byron katie : "We never make a decision. When the time is right, the decision makes itself."
November 19, 2013 at 21:32 |
michael
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Byron Katie in a nutshell:
Everything happens for you, not to you.
Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don’t have to like it… it’s just easier if you do.
Nothing comes ahead of its time, and nothing ever happened that didn’t need to happen.
When I am perfectly clear, what is is what I want.
Everything happens for you, not to you.
Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don’t have to like it… it’s just easier if you do.
Nothing comes ahead of its time, and nothing ever happened that didn’t need to happen.
When I am perfectly clear, what is is what I want.
November 19, 2013 at 21:36 |
michael
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I see your point more clearly I think.
"Standing out" IS that unconscious visceral response which is the decision on what to do next. Decision-making based on NOT seeking reasons. "Standing out" by-passes solely rational decision making, which tends to obsess on making the optimal decision, with no regrets, trying to be certain that it works out for you and those around you, in an attempt to self-justify. Standing-out relies on what lay beyond reaso, fear, doubt and worry.
“A healed mind is relieved of the belief that it must plan….”~ A Course In Miracles
"Standing out" IS that unconscious visceral response which is the decision on what to do next. Decision-making based on NOT seeking reasons. "Standing out" by-passes solely rational decision making, which tends to obsess on making the optimal decision, with no regrets, trying to be certain that it works out for you and those around you, in an attempt to self-justify. Standing-out relies on what lay beyond reaso, fear, doubt and worry.
“A healed mind is relieved of the belief that it must plan….”~ A Course In Miracles
November 19, 2013 at 21:55 |
michael
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A parable, about FV chains, maybe:
" Let us say that you have walked into a room. It is a huge room, and an ornate one. Perhaps it is a library in a richly appointed home.
Fine, I can picture that.
You walk into the room, and you notice some things "first." Maybe there is a pair of larger-than-life statues of nude human figures in the corner. Naturally, they catch your eye. You move toward them to check them out. Or perhaps there is something else equally dramatic hanging about. A huge stuffed bear. Or a widescreen TV blaring on the side wall. Your attention goes there at once. Your mind goes there immediately.
Okay, I can imagine that.
Now you begin to look around, and you start to see other things, smaller things, less dramatic things. Finally, you move toward a bookcase in the middle of the room. Your eyes light upon a particular title on the binding of a book in the center of the middle shelf directly in front of you. This is what you came into this room for. The statues caught your eye, and you moved toward them, but this is what you came here for.
Describing this scene to someone else later, you might hear yourself saying, "At last, there it was! Just what I was looking for!"
Of course, there is no "at last" about it. You could just as easily have said, "At first, there it was!"
The coveted book was there all along, waiting for you to see it. It did not show up "later." Indeed, it did not "show up" at all. It did not arrive at a certain "time." It was there all along. Yet you did not see it, because you were not looking at it. You did not move toward it.
Yet everything in that room was there. It all existed simultaneously. You saw what was there, "discovered" it, and therefore experienced it, sequentially. Thus, the moment was truly "sequentaneous." "
http://www.ignaciodarnaude.com/espiritualismo/Walsch,Home%20with%20God%20in%20a%20life%20that%20never%20ends.htm#LinkTarget_10032
" Let us say that you have walked into a room. It is a huge room, and an ornate one. Perhaps it is a library in a richly appointed home.
Fine, I can picture that.
You walk into the room, and you notice some things "first." Maybe there is a pair of larger-than-life statues of nude human figures in the corner. Naturally, they catch your eye. You move toward them to check them out. Or perhaps there is something else equally dramatic hanging about. A huge stuffed bear. Or a widescreen TV blaring on the side wall. Your attention goes there at once. Your mind goes there immediately.
Okay, I can imagine that.
Now you begin to look around, and you start to see other things, smaller things, less dramatic things. Finally, you move toward a bookcase in the middle of the room. Your eyes light upon a particular title on the binding of a book in the center of the middle shelf directly in front of you. This is what you came into this room for. The statues caught your eye, and you moved toward them, but this is what you came here for.
Describing this scene to someone else later, you might hear yourself saying, "At last, there it was! Just what I was looking for!"
Of course, there is no "at last" about it. You could just as easily have said, "At first, there it was!"
The coveted book was there all along, waiting for you to see it. It did not show up "later." Indeed, it did not "show up" at all. It did not arrive at a certain "time." It was there all along. Yet you did not see it, because you were not looking at it. You did not move toward it.
Yet everything in that room was there. It all existed simultaneously. You saw what was there, "discovered" it, and therefore experienced it, sequentially. Thus, the moment was truly "sequentaneous." "
http://www.ignaciodarnaude.com/espiritualismo/Walsch,Home%20with%20God%20in%20a%20life%20that%20never%20ends.htm#LinkTarget_10032
November 21, 2013 at 15:34 |
michael
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michael:
The complicating factor in AF/FV etc is that your are aiming to do everything on the list, not just the "one thing".
The complicating factor in AF/FV etc is that your are aiming to do everything on the list, not just the "one thing".
November 21, 2013 at 20:34 |
Mark Forster
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Defining productivity has got to be a somewhat ironic task :-)
Seems to me when life is humming along nicely things just seem to flow and fit together, so a time management system should encourage us toward that state, not force us out of it.
Is there such a thing as being far too over productive, where serendipity is being crushed out of life?
Seems to me when life is humming along nicely things just seem to flow and fit together, so a time management system should encourage us toward that state, not force us out of it.
Is there such a thing as being far too over productive, where serendipity is being crushed out of life?
November 24, 2013 at 23:26 |
smileypete
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@smileypete - the flow state?
http://markforster.squarespace.com/fv-forum/post/1767348
AutoFlow. The new name for AF?
http://markforster.squarespace.com/fv-forum/post/1767348
AutoFlow. The new name for AF?
November 25, 2013 at 10:32 |
michael
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I define being productive as knowing I've got everything under control. Everything that others depend on me for is done on time or early; at least one backlogged project is constantly improving; I'm not avoiding anything I know I should do; no new backlogs are forming.
When I'm productive, I have confidence that things will go smoothly. I spend my non-working time on an interesting journey rather than on avoiding things I know I should do.
When I'm productive, I have confidence that things will go smoothly. I spend my non-working time on an interesting journey rather than on avoiding things I know I should do.
December 1, 2013 at 3:55 |
Cricket
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Not much point having a productivity system if you aren't clear what you are trying to produce.
There is often more to it than quantity of product.