I had hoped to start out this year by sharing some of my goal setting, planning and productivity techniques. I was unable to begin this series of blogs in early January because sometimes life comes at you fast. But I have an opening and it felt ripe and full so here is where I begin.
My yoga teacher has been sharing some Sanskrit teaching each class. A few weeks ago, she shared the first line of a particularly apt tract. The first lines said something akin to, “And now begins the practice of Yoga.” The important point being that every moment was a new opportunity to begin the practice. Every now is another gift, another chance to practice yoga.
I like that idea, a lot.
And so right now, in this moment, I have an opportunity to share my practice with all of you.
How Do You Do All That You Do?
Most folks who get a peek at how I work have been blown away and subsequently have encouraged to me to write more about how I approach productivity. I am constantly refining my tools and techniques, so that at any given moment I am introducing a new idea, dropping a tool or inventing something totally new.
Because I allow my methodologies to evolve over time, I have often tried multiple ways to address the same issue, coming closer to a real solution each time I revisit it.
I have favorite authors, tools and methods that I return to time and time again. Some of them are well known like Covey, the Hipster PDA and Getting Things Done. Some tools are conventional like index cards, moleskin notebooks and a file drawer. Still others techniques are ancient like meditation, shamanic journeying and dream work. I also am almost constantly on the look out for how others in my situation approach these issues, some favorites include David Seah, Merlin Mann and countless others.
So this blog is the beginning of what I hope to be a regular series. Over the next week or so, I will share my process and plans for the year, then each month I will post updates in each area. I hope this helps me with my process and maybe helps others with theirs as well.
And now our journey begins ...
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Submitted by katrina on Mon, 01/21/2008 - 6:22pm.
This sounds like something I need to do. I hope that I can work it out.
Connect DC is TEN?? Wow. Time flies.
Did I ever mention to you that I think the impact that working had on me was to connect me to DC? I'm so hooked in here ... just call me "swamp thang."
Speaking of which ... isn't it margarita weather? Let's get together.
Much love,
Reya
p.s. So cool to see my drawing again! Thank you for publishing!
"Such beautiful dreaming! Such clear work. You sound so much in-focus just now.
I honor this work and delight in reading your words ... and I'm moved to participate in the dreaming-work, perhaps more than is appropriate.
I think I'll take the risk, and I hope you'll tell me if you'd rather I not do it again.
In the dream group I used to work with, we would read one of our dreams aloud and then go around the room, each one beginning their remarks with "If this were my dream..." and then sharing whatever the pieces seemed to illuminate for them. And then the next person might see something quite different in the same images, the same words.
In that sense, if this were my dream just now, in my dream I am surrounded by water -- my life is filled with emotion, covering and drowning everything else, so that all I can see is my feelings.
The gathering of song and all these incredible people -- my life, friendships, the harmony we make together. And in my dream, I am beginning to see myself moving on. Does this mean a change of geography? a change of emphasis? in my life this minute this could be about gradually shifting some of the focus of my everyday spiritual community from the UUs to the Yoga studio, or it could be something quite different. If I had this dream last week sometime, it would look like the impending end of an important relationship.
And in all of those possibilities, I am so present to the sadness with which I gather up what is mine to take with me, make my farewells, and lose my ability to remember the words. In all of these possibilities, even as I'm leaving I'm rethinking the choice to leave ... do I really have to? why?
In my dream, I look for my car because I want to escape ... and I can't find my car because there's no way out. As I'm searching the beautiful dark man in the hotel uniform helps me -- the hotel uniform telling me that wherever I am is only a way station, his beauty telling me that I can enjoy and appreciate his help, his darkness telling me that sometimes I need to look closely to see what is important (other times everything is well-lighted).
I keep looking for the way out even as the hotel man would make me welcome, and eventually the welcome is withdrawn as he leaves. And then I am lost and wandering, trying to find my way home -- having ignored help and support, I find I can't find the way alone after all.
And now that my dream has ended, I see there is much here that I can use in my waking life, too. So thank you for dreaming this dream, thanks for sharing it, thanks for letting me dream it, too.
Many blessings, Dear One"
"I sit staring out the window, not lost in thought, but feeling completely and totally blank inside." I have been sitting in a similar space.
Your post reminds me to trust and to listen for the song.