Do you ever feel like you are stuck on your perch?
Have you ever felt like you run up against road block after road block? Does every choice you make seem to leave you feeling even less productive? Do you sometimes sit and stare off into space thinking to yourself, “I’m not getting anywhere?
Rejoicefully, I admit that I have felt this way. And I’ve wondered what about my situation leaves me feeling like this. I have come to the conclusion that it’s the lack of control I feel about the direction my life is heading and that if I don’t do something I’ll get nowhere! I’ll fail. The sense of needing control thwarts my efforts in productivity.
Do I want control?
Yes! And the more I am doing, the more in control I am. The more I am doing, the more productive I am. Right? Do you feel that way? And then do you end up flying around in circles? When I get like this I need to take a step back. I need to breathe. I need to remember that it’s my ego that needs to be in control so I can feel productive. But guess what? If I was in control I’d screw it all up! I really don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. I don’t know what the results of all my efforts will be, so all I can do is surrender control to the unseen forces that have a birds eye view of all that I am here to accomplish while I am on Earth.
I need to keep reminding myself that I am in control of nothing but my thoughts, words, and actions–not the outcome. I need to remember that there is much more in motion, even when I am doing nothing.
I understand the impulse to judge.
I’m just finishing up my (mostly personal) business trip to California. Due to lack of internet availability (and desire to find it) I am feeling less productive than usual. I spoke with Michelle today and after a short conversation, she said, “..and we have a business…” I am seduced into feeling like if I don’t do something everything I’ve done to this point will be for naught. I’m shaming myself into believing that I am failing because I haven’t written enough or been on-line enough or shamed myself enough… Why do I do that? Do you do that? Listen carefully… Stop it!
Here is the simple truth: Productivity is easy!
Recently I was helping a friend organize three years worth of paperwork. In about 12 hours of non-stop sorting we filled up a 60 gallon recycling bin. It’s been a process! There has been resistance and judgment (not on my part of course) and awareness. As I listened to my friend, I learned how easy it is to be productive. The secret is to be present. When you need to eat, eat. When you need to sleep, sleep. When you need to sort, sort. And when you need to sit, sit.
Michelle tells a story of her daughter trying to get from rock A in the creek to rock B in the creek. “Mommy, I want to go over there.” Then in a beautiful demonstration of productivity, her daughter looks down at the rocks beneath her feet and begins her trip. One rock at a time with an occasional glance up at the big picture, a fall or two, and a couple rests on some of the bigger rocks, and before you know it she has reached her destination. Not one view, but the ability to look at the big picture and what needs to get done and then the ability to shift the view to what is right in front of you–sometimes that means sitting down.
Remember your life purpose.
Sometimes you will work hard and fast and you will get a lot done. In this physical world it is a prized value to accomplish…something…anything…. I’m asking you to look outside of the model of productivity you have known and invite in a more empowering perspective.
One of the reasons I am here is to connect. It’s part of my purpose. If I maintain the awareness of living my purpose in each moment, then productivity doesn’t need to look like productivity. Maybe I’m getting things done when all I’m ‘doing’ is writing my vision from an outside table at a tequila bistro in Boulder.
I have been connecting with lots of people, but because it doesn’t look good on paper, maybe it doesn’t count. It does count! It absolutely counts. Don’t let your old way of thinking minimize your productivity. Months ago I made a declaration. I invented my own affirmation; here it is:
Everything I do; every interaction, every thing I write, every thought I have, every connection I make, every desire I have, every project I engage in, every person I support, everything! leads to the success of my the full expression of my purpose. Everything!
This is what I need to remember when I doubt. This is what I need to remember when I am not as productive as I ’should’ be. This is what I need to remember as I engage the world in ways that don’t look good on paper. I’m reminded of some writing I did a couple months ago that has resulted in a business contact that I am very excited about. I didn’t have even an inkling of the impact my writing would have. There are literally hundreds of events, interactions, connections that are leading me into my highest expression–which this business is a container for that expression. It’s a container for living my purpose! I remember the ‘chance’ meeting I had with Michelle in a parking lot a year and a half ago. And the phone call I had with her on my porch that led to our partnership. I am productive even when I am sitting on my perch. I mean porch.
How does living your purpose lead to productivity?
Can you make some connections to your productivity? How does living your purpose lead to productivity? How do you maintain a level of awareness around living your purpose, even when you are feeling unproductive? What is one thing you can do to recognize your own productivity even when you are perched?
When you are following your passion and living your purpose, you will be productive even when it doesn’t feel like it… So make an affirmation for yourself. Post it where you will be reminded of the bigger truth. And above all remember that in order to get somewhere, you need to take a rest on the porch every once in a while, catch your breath, and take in the beauty. Getting there is not a one stop flight.
Share with us your experience of productivity…maybe some of the judgments and expectations you have about yourself. Is there another perspective you could adopt that would allow you to enjoy the process more? How do you spiritual gifts get epressed through your productivity?
Written by CK Reyes - Life Coach, Facilitator and Cheerleader of your Wildest Dreams! Contact Leila using the tab above.
Divine Purpose Unleashed, Live Your Life Purpose is a division of Divine Purpose Unleashed, LLC. co founded by Michelle Vandepas and CK Reyes. Divine Purpose Unleashed works with Professionals, Therapists Coaches and other service professionals to Unveil their Divine Life Purpose, Unleash their Contribution to the world and Manifest their Conscious Livelihood®. No matter where you are in your journey, the DPU staff of coaches and professionals will guide you to live your purpose with clarity and align your your authentic expression with your marketing efforts. For more information about how you can work with us, please click on the 
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As a society I believe we have become compulsive about measurement. I realized this when my daughter came home from Kindergarten and started showing me what she had learned about rulers. For some reason a voice in my head said “it has begun.” Meaning the fascination with how big, small, long, much, etc. Part of this fascination has led us down the dangerous path of putting numbers to productivity to measure it.
For example sales people are often judged by how many cold calls or visits they made per week. Well what if they only made three and they were really solid good leads. Doesn’t that count as productivity? As internet business people we often judge ourselves by number of RSS subscribers or website hits. What if we only have 10 RSS readers but we are helping them to make huge life changes? Isn’t that more productive than having 1000 readers who only glance at what you have to say, leave a comment and never take action?
Thank you for reminding me what productivity really is and how much of what we think it is, is actually illusion.
My purpose is to use my voice to help others who feel lost or in pain. If I only help one person can I honestly say I haven’t been productive? How can that type of productivity be measured?
Maybe while you were traveling new readers came here to your site and found solace, hope and a new perspective. If so, I’d say you were very productive!
Melissa,
Oh, please tell me how you use your voice to help others who feel lost or in pain… What kind of pain? Lost, how? I am so curious…
And how does the awareness of ‘it’s begun’ inform your parenting? Do you do things to counteract the messages your children are receiving?
CK,
I first discovered what I call my “voice” when I began to try my hand at reading tarot cards in high school. Once I sat down in front of someone and relaxed, I just always seemed to know the right thing to say. It wasn’t that I could predict their future, but I could verbalize their feelings in the now, which is often very hard for people to do. Since then I have discovered that I have a gift for talking to people and public speaking, and now blogging. I just relax and the words just flow. I have complete certainty that God and the Universe will just give me the right words and like magic they always come.
In my current job I work with a variety of people on all levels of functionality, and I hear time after time how people feel better after talking to me. Whether it’s a personnel issue or accounting error or even an IT problem, I seem to make people feel more secure and at peace through my words and perhaps my demeanor. One of the best compliments I ever got was at a post-disaster briefing at a hospital I worked in years ago. I was an assistant in the facilities department, and only 25 years old, yet she said that as soon as I reported into her at the scene and we talked she just knew we were going to be okay.
I suspect that people feel less pain or experience more certainty after they talk to me because I can put words to things they are struggling with. Once you can reduce your feelings down to words you can manage them and you can begin to tackle a problem. I find this particularly true when people get that “lost” feeling in life. They lack a way to express the feeling, which makes them feel even more “apart” from the world. By finding expression they can begin to clear the fog and find their path again.
As for parenting. I know I am raising my daughter way differently than most people. As we discussed the exciting knowledge of measurement I mentioned that the best things in life can’t be measured, such as love, or God or happiness. I didn’t do this in any pointed or profound way. In our home we talk of such concepts as casually and frequently as other normal household chatter like the weather.
Another parenting choice I have made is to never say the words “we can’t afford it” or “we don’t have enough money to buy that.” I use the a method of redirection that I used when she was a baby and I didn’t want her to touch something. As a baby when she would want to touch something she shouldn’t I acknowledged that I knew she wanted to touch that but I told her it would be better if we touched something else. Now when she sees a toy she really wants, and I don’t think we really need to get it, I’ll say something like “Wow, that is a really cool toy, but you know you have so many other really cool toys at home. Why don’t we leave this one here for some one else who doesn’t have as many cool toys as you do.” Gracie is all about helping others so she’s totally down with this plan. There. Done. No temper tantrums and no negative messages about money or wealth recording into her young mind.
WOW! Again, thanks. I feel like I know you better.
Dear CK -
Wow! Does this describe me!
“Do I want control?
Yes! And the more I am doing, the more in control I am. The more I am doing, the more productive I am. Right? Do you feel that way? And then do you end up flying around in circles?”
Your articles are getting better with every one!
I go to bed every night with the question, “Now what did you accomplish today?”
This helps!
Corinne, Yes, and what if you could accomplish more from ‘doing’ nothing than you ever could from being so damn productive? I’ve noticed that I get much more done when I take care of myself regularly! I’m going to take a break right now and go soak in the hot springs!