One of the comments I often get from people is: “You are the most productive person I know!”
I am grateful for having the stamina to be so productive. However, I am discovering, as I become more mindful and self-aware, that my productivity is not the result of great planning, but of brute force effort and a strong will.
That’s just not an optimal way of being productive because when I examine myself, I find that I am often motivated by:
- fear
- guilt
- duty
- a desire to please others
The first two are bad. Fear and guilt are just awful motivators.
Of the last two, duty is a good motivator, as is a desire to please others. Wanting to please others, however, is often a case of managing their expectations! I have learned that working with others to understand what it will take to please them
I have learned that working with others to understand what it will take to please them is very important.
I am going to work on ways of managing time discipline. I am going to start by using my calendar more effectively. I have friends who do this well – for example, Mark Stewart, my colleague and good friend at McMaster University, has been a big motivation for me in terms of fitness and health. I recently realised that he is a great at using his calendar for managing time.
I will report back on the Time Discipline Project.