Imagine a radio that is able to tap onto any frequency, auto-flip channels, adjust its clarity, doesn’t (or will not) turn off and can randomly amplify itself, for no apparent reason.
Close your eyes and sit still for 5 minutes, you’ll know what that radio experience feels like. Repeat this again, and you’ll witness something new each time.
When I read about Productivity, I’m really looking for a method that will help me focus and also numb any other interferences. A technique that would enable me to work for an hour or more where I’m in the flow, a state of calm yet gentle whirring of the ‘internal engine’ that gets me to either write, code or absorb what I’m reading. The resistance to start is often because of a few random thoughts that tug your conscience to do something else; which quickly ensues into a struggle between two sides that have surfaced inside you.
Mediation is a non-judgmental observation of the thoughts or emotions that rise and fall within your psyche
Thoughts that manifest within the mind can be voluntary or involuntary. To think, is an assertion of the voluntary Self, also called the Conscious Mind, to connect and understand, to make sense of the noise that we observe in our daily life. All the input that we receive from the external world has a deep effect on our inner world which lead to random involuntary thoughts, collectively referred to as the Sub-Conscious Mind, which we’re unaware of — we can’t always comprehend their origin or purpose.
Trying to concentrate is a self-imposed discipline to suppress the chaotic mind and thereby complete a specific task, which may not yield the intended result. There are instances where you find a quiet place, put on your headphones with your favorite tune, silence your phone and yet can’t get past the first page. The noise inside is just too loud.
Of the many methods that prep you for a focused streak, I’ve listed the popular ones:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Tools (Focus Timer App on iOS)
- Music (Ambient on Spotify)
To think, act and behave as a singularity
I must make a special mention of the Bullet Journal approach for tracking your progress on a day-to-day basis. And not to forget your body’s circadian, ultradian and infradian natural rhythms with specialized alarm clocks that understand and work accordingly.
So! what does all this blab come down to ?
I learned that you can only make tangible progress if your voluntary and involuntary thoughts are aligned - you think, act and behave as a singularity. You act based on what you think and practice your act everyday which ultimately roots in your sub-conscience. Productive joy is simply a side-effect when your desire, action and dream is connected within a single expression. In the absence of such a connection, you’ll find yourself battling mind-games.
Thanks for reading
