Productive or busy?

You’ll never believe this, or, maybe I should say I can hardly believe this. I sat down to write this letter to you a few days ago. I blocked off the time in my planner. (Automating = less thinking, more doing, for me). But as I opened up my computer, I could already get a sense that this wasn’t the right time to write. It was quiet. I had slept well. I meditated. All my ducks were in a row. But…no flow. I went ahead and began writing. Maybe it was just a matter of getting started?

Nope. No flow. 

I write from the heart so, when there’s no flow, there’s no letter. I had plenty of things on my mind that I felt like I could share, but the ideas decided to continue to swirl around in my head rather than flow onto the paper. 

So, I did the unthinkable. I stopped. 

Even better actually. I stopped and didn’t worry about it. I moved on to the next thing. This is a win for me on so many levels. I listened to my body (my soul really). This is my ‘believing’ experiment in action! Instead of stress creeping in, I took a deep breath. I acknowledged that I had been heavy on the output over the last few days and what I really needed now was some refueling. My bucket needed filling and I responded with love and trust. 

The old me would’ve steamrolled over that voice and written my best only to be disappointed with the product. I would’ve been more worn out and then disheartened to boot. I would’ve absolutely have gone back to revise it to my satisfaction, but with time and energy wasted. It’s a classic example of how I used to choose fight over flow, busy over productive. 

A big part of living with more intention has been about creating my own definitions. Here’s my take on them.

I’m productive when I’m achieving some necessary task for my life. It might be writing, it might just be laundry. But both of these are a part of a greater goal for myself or my family. Productivity has a lot to do with priority. I get my top ‘must-dos’ done and then continue down the list, either checking the little ones off or shifting them to the following day. 

Busy is what happens when I overextend myself. It’s when I plan so many things that I cannot achieve the lifestyle I want – which is peaceful, dream-oriented and fulfilling. Sometimes I can’t escape busy, but you’d be surprised how often I can. 

Being productive requires balance. When my mental state is fatigued, I am not my best. If I am not my best, I cannot givemy best to my work, my family or myself. I’m not one to give on quality so that always means it takes more time and energy (and even sanity) to get the very same job done. 

Yet again I find living with intention is a circle. Each part of this journey inwards feeds another. Each part sets me up for success in some connected way. Because I can’t prioritize what I need if I don’t know what I want. That very first step of reconnecting to myself has been the foundation on which I’m building my life. Wellbeing is a selfless act, not a selfish one. Here’s hoping you stay tuned (to yourself) and stay productive!