The moon that you so far didn't notice tonight is so beautifully shining amidst the brilliant stars. So what have you been doing today? Make a list. Just to add to our elevated sense of well-being, lets assume you indeed accomplished a million things - be it as small as catching that bus on time or making that perfect blend of coffee to something as big as getting that all-important deal sealed, or negotiating a multi-billion dollar merger. Include them all. You might be a slogging student or a busy businessman, a non-entity or a celebrity. You might have had the best day of your life or have had the roughest of a ride. That's immaterial. Just list down what all you did.
Now imagine your brain were a camera. Look at the bigger picture. ZOOM OUT. How many things you did in your day actually contribute (even if negligibly small) to something big that you always wanted to do in life - your so called long-term ambitions, even if that is simply "to be happy"? How many things did you NOT do today just so that you could do something productive? Oh wait, I heard something - there - the balloon just burst..Oh that was mine, let me be honest. You know what the balloon is.
If you haven't realized yet, the way we define productivity, success and everything else we search for on an everyday basis, isn't actually the way we want it. What is so important today apparently turns out to be one of those 'yea, it wasn't something that I could have just glossed over, but it is not the end of the world either' types.It looks like we aren't being productive enough in a single day to be on track to achieve those dreams we always cherished. If nothing in your list could make it to the prized productive list, so be it. The first fact in becoming more productive is to accept there is scope for improvement. And I reiterate, I do not mean productivity at work alone.
So what the heck are we doing? We spend 24 hours a day, extremely exhausting ones, and that doesn't contribute even a tiny little bit to where we want to be? REALLY???? It is now that the realization dawns, didn't someone tell us "The journey matters more than the destination"? Success doesn't happen in leaps and if it does, it doesn't last. It happens in tiny (for the engineers - it is the perfect example of an infinitesimal change!) little chunks that make up the perfect picture. Indeed, it happens to those people who are too busy looking for it, too busy to notice it.
So, in the process of chasing a few things, do we miss out on something vital, do we fail to enjoy the journey while constantly illusioning of accelerating towards the destination? How long are you going to skip breakfast, how long are you postpone making that phonecall just because you had something seemingly more important to do at that moment ? How much has that 'seemingly important' task scored on your productivity list at the end of the day? Does that mean you are getting your priorities wrong?
Well, the mistake that we often make is not in prioritizing the smaller tasks in our everyday life - we have evolved to be perfect in it - what to do at this moment is often obvious or dictated by your Google Calender. But where we go wrong is prioritizing the elements of the larger picture. Yes ofcourse, money is definitely important, career defines who you are, you have not come this far to quit. But where do we draw the line between doing something to achieve a dream in the future and living the moment? Do we draw the line at all? Is life just all about those dreams so much so that it can engulf your everyday being?
Yes, all of us nurture many dreams both on the professional front and on the personal front. And agreed, being a dreamer is the best you can get in life. But how far will you go to turn that to a reality? How many sacrifices is it worth of? How long are you going to keep making those sacrifices in search of that seemingly ever-elusive dream?
Obviously, the only way out is to enjoy the journey, pay attention to little things, derive pleasure from them, be whole-heartedly content with very small successes. ZOOM IN on life with your brain camera. Smile often - for yourself, just for yourself. From time to time, get crazy, become a child, play with water, eat a weird combination, laugh at yourself, sleep, stare through the window without thinking of anything - DO NOTHING (the most difficult to do, of all, trust me!) I would definitely argue 'doing nothing' is a time that improves productivity like no other. After all, on what can you draw the best-ever painting? An empty canvas.
And as you sit and stare through a window, looking at the soft moonlight, once a while, you realize a few things and some people choose to call it bliss. You - Realize how you always used to dream in the past about living that life you are currently living and complaining about. Realize how your life unfolds in such a way that what appeared to be the end of everything turned out infact to be the best thing that could have happened to you. Realize the person who appeared to be the most important one in the world is a non-entity in your heart now. Realize how that broken relationship has actually taught you a lesson and made you better. Realize how you wouldn't have had this wonderful partner in life if it wasn't for that horribly painful break-up. Realize how you wouldn't have gotten this far in the job if it wasn't for that previous bugging boss. Yeah baby, this crazy thing called life makes sense only in retrospect. So count your blessings now. You are CHOSEN to live this moment in this position, amidst these people at that place. No one else. Enjoy that previlege.
So get back to your list, put a big tick mark and a smiley next to the little things. If you haven't written down anything of that sort, go get a life! Remember to pat yourself and put two smileys against that perfectly blended coffee or staring out the window and watching the rain for 5 mintues - for these are the moments where ideas are born and relationships are saved. Did someone say long-term productivity? These small things influence the realization of your dreams in ways you can't imagine and articulate purely by logic. Look at the moon again now, isn't it smiling at you?
As the last word, I am not saying we ought to give up on the race called life. Be as competitive as you would ever be, be assertively aggressive. But on the highway, do NOT forget to notice those beautiful green fields, the colors of the sky or the river beneath that bridge while you drive. Those are the ones that make the race more worthwhile - because you drive with a smile after noticing them. The acceleration lost in those moments is totally worth it. Not to mention the disclaimer - just notice, if you keep looking at and concentrating on these little things throughout the drive, you are probably going to crash!
Here's wishing you happiness - small or big and the power to notice it. Godspeed.
P.S - Sorry for the misleading title, pun fully intended!
