Discussion Forum > Time management Eckhart Tolle style
Byron Katie in her book "There Is Just One Thing To Do"
"What we need to do unfolds before us, always -- doing the dishes, paying the bills, picking up the children's socks, brushing our teeth. We never receive more than we can handle, and there is always just one thing to do. Life never gets more difficult than that."
"What we need to do unfolds before us, always -- doing the dishes, paying the bills, picking up the children's socks, brushing our teeth. We never receive more than we can handle, and there is always just one thing to do. Life never gets more difficult than that."
December 24, 2013 at 12:34 |
michael
michael
michael:
I don't think Byron Katie has written a book by that title. The passage you quote is from "Loving What Is".
The extract can be found at http://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=614
What she describes is very similar to my Resistance Principle (fully described in "Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play"), which is based on the the theory that there is "one right thing" to be done every moment of the day and we are either doing it or resisting it. It can be accessed by asking the simple question "What am I resisting (at this precise moment)?", and the reply may be either "Nothing" or "Doing the dishes" etc.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2007/1/13/the-resistance-principle.html
I don't think Byron Katie has written a book by that title. The passage you quote is from "Loving What Is".
The extract can be found at http://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=614
What she describes is very similar to my Resistance Principle (fully described in "Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play"), which is based on the the theory that there is "one right thing" to be done every moment of the day and we are either doing it or resisting it. It can be accessed by asking the simple question "What am I resisting (at this precise moment)?", and the reply may be either "Nothing" or "Doing the dishes" etc.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2007/1/13/the-resistance-principle.html
December 24, 2013 at 20:54 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Inspired by the discussion on Georgism one can ask what is the underlying value of time? "Time management" is often about seeking the maximum economic return on a day. In managed "clock-time", the present moment doesn't exist. Only the measurable past and future are regarded as real, as the point between – ie now – is of no value in economic terms. Time management requires us to view time in this way, and eventually it programs our minds so that we’re unable to live in the present, choosing what would feel most joyful and instead acting out of duty, obligation or fear.
December 30, 2013 at 12:09 |
michael
michael
Hi Michael
Perception of time and perceptions of our needs, responsibilities, plans and desires isn't so restrictive as you state.
You stated:
"Time management requires us to view time in this way, and eventually it programs our minds so that we’re unable to live in the present, choosing what would feel most joyful and instead acting out of duty, obligation or fear."
Most people do both. In fact I experience my desires and pursuits quite fully and with abandon because I'm current with taking care of my responsibilities. I think of it as a preventative inoculation to allow me to fully enjoy my discretionary time. In fact, my position is that doing both helps to ensure an overall higher quality of living. YMMV.
Perception of time and perceptions of our needs, responsibilities, plans and desires isn't so restrictive as you state.
You stated:
"Time management requires us to view time in this way, and eventually it programs our minds so that we’re unable to live in the present, choosing what would feel most joyful and instead acting out of duty, obligation or fear."
Most people do both. In fact I experience my desires and pursuits quite fully and with abandon because I'm current with taking care of my responsibilities. I think of it as a preventative inoculation to allow me to fully enjoy my discretionary time. In fact, my position is that doing both helps to ensure an overall higher quality of living. YMMV.
December 30, 2013 at 18:06 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Yes, I too have doubts about the validity of what michael is saying in the passage quoted by learning as I go.
The trouble is that "living in the present choosing what would feel most joyful" is far from as easy as it sounds. It isn't the "living in the present" bit where the difficulty lies, but the "choosing what would feel most joyful" part.
Too often choosing to live exclusively in the present results not in joy, but in frustration, stagnation and aimlessness. I know - I've been there often enough.
In fact it was to rescue myself from precisely these problems that I started to develop my time management methods in the first place. I can't pretend to have been entirely free of frustration, stagnation and aimlessness since, but it's been a LOT better. And the one sure way of putting myself back in those states is to try to live in the present without any time management. I try it each now and then and it always has the same result.
The trouble is that "living in the present choosing what would feel most joyful" is far from as easy as it sounds. It isn't the "living in the present" bit where the difficulty lies, but the "choosing what would feel most joyful" part.
Too often choosing to live exclusively in the present results not in joy, but in frustration, stagnation and aimlessness. I know - I've been there often enough.
In fact it was to rescue myself from precisely these problems that I started to develop my time management methods in the first place. I can't pretend to have been entirely free of frustration, stagnation and aimlessness since, but it's been a LOT better. And the one sure way of putting myself back in those states is to try to live in the present without any time management. I try it each now and then and it always has the same result.
December 30, 2013 at 22:48 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I think it depends on what is going on in one when one arrives in the moment. The arrival in the moment means more than not thinking about the future or the past but active awareness of habitual thought patterns and reactions in order to be more present and aware. The easiest thing is to act out of habit or reaction but this denies any space for awareness of more choices.
March 1, 2014 at 13:12 |
michael
michael
michael:
I'd love to be able to live like that - I really would. But my very extensive experience of trying to do so is that for me it always leads to complete chaos and frustration. The problem is not that I don't have enough choices, but that I have too many.
I'd love to be able to live like that - I really would. But my very extensive experience of trying to do so is that for me it always leads to complete chaos and frustration. The problem is not that I don't have enough choices, but that I have too many.
March 1, 2014 at 14:38 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
As an aside, in line with your experience, a recent TV programme set out to compare 2 restaurant menus, one with many choices which was hard to get to grips with and a simple menu with few choices. The easy to understand short menu was the menu most people wanted to choose from.
It was interesting to see the disbelief of the restauranteur who was convinced people wanted a wide choice.
It was interesting to see the disbelief of the restauranteur who was convinced people wanted a wide choice.
March 1, 2014 at 17:39 |
michael
michael
Yep, when I go out, it's usually a choice between two or three of the dishes I've already tried there, not the entire menu.
It's well-known that too many choices lead to lower satisfaction. We spend more time trying to make the absolute best choice, and then regret not doing more research just in case one of them really was the better choice. May people are maximizers, rather than satisfciers. The latter do just enough that they know they're making a good-enough choice. Sure, they pay a few pennies more or miss a few features, but they recognize that the time and stress of maximizing isn't worth it. Most of us lean one way of the other much of the time, but context will change that. Colley's Rule is one way to enforce satisfcying (spelling??).
It's well-known that too many choices lead to lower satisfaction. We spend more time trying to make the absolute best choice, and then regret not doing more research just in case one of them really was the better choice. May people are maximizers, rather than satisfciers. The latter do just enough that they know they're making a good-enough choice. Sure, they pay a few pennies more or miss a few features, but they recognize that the time and stress of maximizing isn't worth it. Most of us lean one way of the other much of the time, but context will change that. Colley's Rule is one way to enforce satisfcying (spelling??).
March 1, 2014 at 20:39 |
Cricket
Cricket
Mark:
But in "Dreams" you do stress following your excitement in pull-mode. Is that not dropping resistance and choosing what feels uplifting as the next thing?
I think this may just be a problem of expression. Perhaps getting into the moment has layers. If it's obvious what woul would feel uplifting no pause is necessary. Getting into the moment in a deep way is perhaps required (so a pause is necessary) when there are unpleasant things that must be done, so that a power of appreciation is generated.
But in "Dreams" you do stress following your excitement in pull-mode. Is that not dropping resistance and choosing what feels uplifting as the next thing?
I think this may just be a problem of expression. Perhaps getting into the moment has layers. If it's obvious what woul would feel uplifting no pause is necessary. Getting into the moment in a deep way is perhaps required (so a pause is necessary) when there are unpleasant things that must be done, so that a power of appreciation is generated.
March 5, 2014 at 10:52 |
michael
michael
I think we need new, innovative tools to help us plan our day in a Mindful way. Something that helps us get a more Holistic, Balanced view of Time.
For folks that agree, and like the idea of a Fun, Visual way to plan your day in a Mindful way, please find a moment to check out Owaves, http://www.owaves.com . I bet Eckhart would like it!!
For folks that agree, and like the idea of a Fun, Visual way to plan your day in a Mindful way, please find a moment to check out Owaves, http://www.owaves.com . I bet Eckhart would like it!!
May 31, 2014 at 5:25 |
Royan
Royan
Eckhart Tolle and Ram Dass are people more free with time. How would it feel to relate to time like them? Time management becomes attention brought to here and now, awareness is taken internally, expanded to be aware of all of ourselves, moving ourselves to the centre of aware consciousness; consciously creating peace and relaxation with all anxieties and problems being outside of that state of being.
What would life be like is there were no pressures or anxieties around time?