After a phone conversation this afternoon with Marc Lesser (author of “Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less” and “Do Less, Accomplish More”) (click Participate to read the article/comment) I wondered: does practicing mindfulness make you more productive? Or care less? (Or both?) Read “Do Less, Accomplish More“
8 Responses to “Mindfulness + Productivity”
9. March 2010 at 10:20 pm
In the long term I think it can make a person more productive, because they’re aware of their patterns. But I know personally sometimes mindfulness makes me think, “why should I spend all this time slumped in my chair over my homework when i could be taking a walk outside in the fresh air…
9. March 2010 at 11:54 pm
I think it makes you more productive. In my job, I handle many thousands of dollars worth of products. I find that if I’m not paying attention to what I’m doing, I can cause a lot of damage, and loss of money for the company. When I am mindful of my actions, I work more smoothly and accurately. Everything seems to flow.
10. March 2010 at 3:59 am
What is ‘productive’ anyway? If we are living in the moment, all actions are all encompassing and dependent. I find myself experiencing very “mindful” times when I feel fully in control and like my actions are all planned and fluid, but then there are times when I feel out of control–like my wheels are spinning. But who is to say that both aren’t productive? It’s all good…
10. March 2010 at 7:47 am
I think that, without mindfulness, we lack the awareness to distinguish between productivity and busyness. There is definitely a feeling of safety in busyness, so much that we often create it for ourselves- we sure do love running on our little rat wheels!
I’d like to think that clarity is a skill we build, and mindfulness is a tool toward building that skill, so that we can direct our energies efficiently and actually be productive.
10. March 2010 at 9:01 am
Interesting post that I have to reply to made by Dewbert, totally get what you are saying – when you have that slightly erratic urgency out-of-control moments at work things get done much quicker. BUT, do they get done as well?
I run my own business as a sole trader (with the help of my dad!) so there are moments when there feels like so much has to be done so quickly to complete orders, get stock online etc… When I am working with that mentality as you described in your post I find that I make a lot of mistakes then spend the next three hours going back and correcting them! Which is frustrating and definitely leads to me being less mindful and productive!
I think productivity and mindfulness go hand in hand. The old phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” still has alot of meaning to me. Just imagine if it had, I can guarantee that the results/product would not be as pleasing! If you take your time, be mindful about what you are doing you create/run something much smoother, more successful and generally more pleasing, which in my mind is productivity.
I think another important word which comes in here which is focus, which i think is closely linked to mindfulness but I don’t think it’s the same thing. Haven’t thought this one through enough yet so will leave it open!
To answer the task for myself I would say being more mindful definitely helps me be more productive for the above reasons, and also it allows you not necessarily to care less but put errors into perspective a bit more.
I liked this prompt today, good work Gwen/Patrick!
10. March 2010 at 2:32 pm
I agree with Jon. Focus is very important. I also think goals are very important. Whether the goal is trading, homework, walking in the woods, or getting in shape, one needs to know the benchmarks along the way in order to get where one wants to go. First, it helps to know where that is. So, Do Less, Accomplish More…well…what does one want to accomplish? After that is determined, focus and mindfulness are two very important tools in order to get there.
10. March 2010 at 4:06 pm
Deffo more productive… The less im up in my head and the more im fully present with my work, the quicker i get things done. The less i stall for a few moments and wonder what to do next. It just gets done straight away.
10. March 2010 at 7:26 pm
Great point Abby, couldn’t agree more!
I feel that being mindful leads to having greater discernment over what’s the necessary thing to do – ie prioritizing; which in turn leads to better results / productivity.