October 24, 2009 at 10:40 pmHow to get rid of the fuss
- Transfer
I continue to publish translations of Leo Babauta's articles from mnmlist.com . Previous translations here and here .
We are all in a hurry. Everyday.
Many people like it. Being busy is a kind of social status. A hurrying person looks important.
I think we should stop this game. Finish being measured by those who are more busy, who are in a rush I believe that you need to relax, learn to enjoy this world, this life, and not try to become more productive by observing how this life just passes by.
If you are busy, it will never end. You can’t get rid of the constant flow of work, because task lists never end. Emails come all the time. People are calling, everyone needs something. Meetings never end. We, like squirrels in a wheel, run aimlessly, only in order to please the boss, or to earn someone money.
The squirrel in the wheel will always run. Always - because she has no purpose.
Do you know what? Travel has a purpose. And we are already at the end point. After all, what is happening to us right now is our life. This is what makes sense. Is being busy is the goal of your life? Maybe if something more?
I believe that we should replace all this fuss with something that is of value to us. Something that matters. And even if we do something important, do not do it all the time, leave time for relaxation, for pleasure, for happiness. Otherwise, there is no need to live.
We must rediscover for ourselves what it means to do nothing. Sit calmly. Enjoy the silence. It is necessary to leave more free space between classes, and not to glue them into one continuous piece of fuss. Let's stop in a hurry and be happier.
It all starts with a decision - I want to be less busy. I no longer want what I have now.
What happens next depends on who sets your daily routine.
Make two lists. In the first, describe your ideal working day — all that you like in your work that you would like to do. In the second - all the things that you need to do, all your obligations. Then begin to remove those obligations that are not in your ideal day. Call those people whom you promised to do something, and just say that you do not. People will be disappointed, but it will not kill them.
After that, start following your perfect day. Be sure to leave enough space between cases so you don't have to rush. Leave one big gap so you can spend time with your family, or go in for sports, or your favorite thing, or just relax.
Look at your to-do list and think about what you could remove, or delegate. Or just put it off. Every day, choose three things to focus on. Allocate one piece of time for e-mail and for small tasks, so that this work will not distract you later.
Disconnect from the Internet for a period of time. When you go somewhere, turn off your mobile phone, or leave it at home. Then no one will be able to interrupt you when you communicate with living people in the real world. Take away everything that distracts your attention and interrupts you so that you do not have to switch attention.
Avoid meetings. Seriously. They just take time.
Prefer multitasking to single-task, focus on what matters, rather than on a bunch of small things. If you notice that you are opening a new tab in the browser, just add this page to your bookmarks so as not to be distracted from the main document.
Enjoy the calm. Relax. Take a nap. Breathe deeper.
Estimate what you can do from the above. Perhaps you can do more than it seems. Create a perfect day, get rid of obligations, simplify your to-do list, be single-task, remove things that distract you. Most people can do it all.
And yet, talk to your superiors. Tell them that you want to be more productive, and that distraction and constant meetings hinder this. Prevent you from achieving more. Tell your superiors what you want to achieve and how you would like to change your schedule for this. Try to negotiate.
Or consider changing jobs if you’re not at all in control of your work day. Well, yes, this is a serious decision, but it is possible, and even useful. At least think about it.
In the end, no matter what you do, you can always get rid of the rush by simply changing your mindset. Live in the present and do not get distracted by extraneous things. Stop, take a deep breath, enjoy the present. Learn to see what is right in front of you and to be at peace with what you do.
And then raise your fist and, with a quiet laugh of the winner, threaten this eternally rushing world.
We are all in a hurry. Everyday.
Many people like it. Being busy is a kind of social status. A hurrying person looks important.
I think we should stop this game. Finish being measured by those who are more busy, who are in a rush I believe that you need to relax, learn to enjoy this world, this life, and not try to become more productive by observing how this life just passes by.
Why be busy is a fool trap
If you are busy, it will never end. You can’t get rid of the constant flow of work, because task lists never end. Emails come all the time. People are calling, everyone needs something. Meetings never end. We, like squirrels in a wheel, run aimlessly, only in order to please the boss, or to earn someone money.
The squirrel in the wheel will always run. Always - because she has no purpose.
Do you know what? Travel has a purpose. And we are already at the end point. After all, what is happening to us right now is our life. This is what makes sense. Is being busy is the goal of your life? Maybe if something more?
I believe that we should replace all this fuss with something that is of value to us. Something that matters. And even if we do something important, do not do it all the time, leave time for relaxation, for pleasure, for happiness. Otherwise, there is no need to live.
We must rediscover for ourselves what it means to do nothing. Sit calmly. Enjoy the silence. It is necessary to leave more free space between classes, and not to glue them into one continuous piece of fuss. Let's stop in a hurry and be happier.
How to become less busy
It all starts with a decision - I want to be less busy. I no longer want what I have now.
What happens next depends on who sets your daily routine.
If you have a flexible work schedule
Make two lists. In the first, describe your ideal working day — all that you like in your work that you would like to do. In the second - all the things that you need to do, all your obligations. Then begin to remove those obligations that are not in your ideal day. Call those people whom you promised to do something, and just say that you do not. People will be disappointed, but it will not kill them.
After that, start following your perfect day. Be sure to leave enough space between cases so you don't have to rush. Leave one big gap so you can spend time with your family, or go in for sports, or your favorite thing, or just relax.
Look at your to-do list and think about what you could remove, or delegate. Or just put it off. Every day, choose three things to focus on. Allocate one piece of time for e-mail and for small tasks, so that this work will not distract you later.
Disconnect from the Internet for a period of time. When you go somewhere, turn off your mobile phone, or leave it at home. Then no one will be able to interrupt you when you communicate with living people in the real world. Take away everything that distracts your attention and interrupts you so that you do not have to switch attention.
Avoid meetings. Seriously. They just take time.
Prefer multitasking to single-task, focus on what matters, rather than on a bunch of small things. If you notice that you are opening a new tab in the browser, just add this page to your bookmarks so as not to be distracted from the main document.
Enjoy the calm. Relax. Take a nap. Breathe deeper.
If you are full time
Estimate what you can do from the above. Perhaps you can do more than it seems. Create a perfect day, get rid of obligations, simplify your to-do list, be single-task, remove things that distract you. Most people can do it all.
And yet, talk to your superiors. Tell them that you want to be more productive, and that distraction and constant meetings hinder this. Prevent you from achieving more. Tell your superiors what you want to achieve and how you would like to change your schedule for this. Try to negotiate.
Or consider changing jobs if you’re not at all in control of your work day. Well, yes, this is a serious decision, but it is possible, and even useful. At least think about it.
In the end, no matter what you do, you can always get rid of the rush by simply changing your mindset. Live in the present and do not get distracted by extraneous things. Stop, take a deep breath, enjoy the present. Learn to see what is right in front of you and to be at peace with what you do.
And then raise your fist and, with a quiet laugh of the winner, threaten this eternally rushing world.