The most potent thing we can do daily is to get in charge of our emotions, mind, body, and spirit first before we can start the day. That’s if you are interested in being the most productive person in the room. Let’s face it, we live in one of the most distracted dispensations in entire human history.
The Shocking Numbers
The data is out there about how much money is lost by companies because their employees are distracted. This is to the tune of over $650 Billion I have always championed the fact that productivity is perhaps the core reason for the existence of mankind. You can’t find for me anything better or greater that brings meaning, fulfilment, and joy to the human race other than being productive.
This means that productivity is not just a company or organization-wide buzzword. It is in fact, a personal pillar of meaning. Many mental health issues at work and in life stem from the fact that people have not learnt to give themselves a ‘head-start’ before they get on with work.
Unquantified Losses
Albert Einstein said,
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
You see, when we do not give ourselves a head start daily, we risk very many things at a personal level that will negatively impact our productivity. We are like a city without walls, open for attack and vulnerable on all fronts. The following things might not be quantified but in the end, they lead to massive losses in revenue both at a personal and corporate level.
- The feelings of being overwhelmed
- The feelings of lack of focus
- The feelings of lack of motivation and inspiration
- The general lack of direction and impetus to work
- The feeling of having so much to do and less time
Getting the Head start
Amazingly, the above feelings and more can be sorted out when we learn to give ourselves a head-start each day. If you wanted to increase your productivity in life, you will need to get started on the right footing each day and make it a habit.
The person who takes a few minutes to calm themselves, reflect, get centered spiritually and plan the day will be giving themselves a head start, much more than the person who shoots out of bed and starts working. It is easy to feel like action is the most potent thing in our productivity, but it is not. The most potent thing in our productivity is effectiveness. You don’t get that through arbitrary action.
To give yourself a head start, the following six hacks will help you.
1. Going Full Analog
Before you reach out for any electronic equipment or screen, reach out to your soul and spirit. You have been sleeping all night and resting. What you will get from screens is nothing about you, nothing about your purpose and nothing about your meaning. Purpose and meaning are important pillars of productivity.
Switch the electronics off. Detach yourself from then. Calm yourself down and connect with your spiritual source. Do this through prayer and meditation. Get as spiritually charged as possible before you can turn on any screen. When you do this, you are in essence, giving your purpose clarity and your life direction.
2. Reflect
If you have your purpose and vision statements, it is time to think about them and visualize their full fruition. I sometimes catch myself reflecting on the massive things that I could do in this world that are connected to my purpose. However, that kind of thinking must be anchored. If you do not have a purpose for your life, you could use that moment to think about it and start reconnecting with it.
There are many tools on the internet that you can use on your purpose quest. I share some of these tools on the Life Signatures. Reflection is not about the how of the vision, it is about the why and the what. It helps you to keep the vision clarity crisp and tangible thus giving you the motivation to step out every day.
3. Review and Strategize
I am assuming that you have goals. I am assuming that you also have a tracker for these. Before you can start the day, take some time to look again at your goals. Lend your mind to them. Look at what has been done and what is pending. Look at what is lacking and what re-direction is needed. Make some projections and change some dates.
Being in touch with your goals is a sure way to mentally allocate them their freedom to ‘breathe’. Otherwise, there is always a danger of getting overwhelmed with them. The person that starts their day daily without this head start is already starting on the wrong footing. Their day might not be as productive and effective as it could.
This is a Contributor Post. Opinions expressed here are opinions of the Contributor. Influencive does not endorse or review brands mentioned; does not and cannot investigate relationships with brands, products, and people mentioned and is up to the Contributor to disclose. Contributors, amongst other accounts and articles may be professional fee-based.