As I sought more mindfulness in my life, I asked myself – how do I stay present and aware through the day? After a year or so of struggling with this question on a daily basis, I’ve concluded that mindfulness flows from productivity.
I define productivity = focus x intensity x time where –
- Focus is the continuous, iterative process of prioritization – or keeping the main thing the main thing.
- Intensity is the deep focus in the task at hand (similar to mindfulness)
The question I effectively asked myself in my quest for more mindfulness is – how do I maintain a high level of intensity through the day?
And, as time passed, I came to realize that it was the wrong question. You cannot be present in the moment if you are aware you are solving for the wrong thing. And, you certainly cannot be present if you aren’t even clear what you are optimizing for.
The ability to stay mindful in the present moment flows from knowing that you are solving for what matters at that given moment.
Mindfulness follows productivity.
A Learning a Day 