Peake Productivity

"Love your life. Love your family. Love what you do as your work. Love your cars. Love your garage and your closets. Love the paint on the wall. Right there, I've just given you a challenge -- to love the things in your life. Clean them up. Clear them up." - John Morton

If you're not loving your life at this moment, maybe it's time for some fall cleaning and clearing of anything that no longer serves you. Bring joy and play back into your life. Checkout my coaching services, or other great tools for success available out there.

Summer is waning. I just came home from a gorgeous evening of playful and profound stories set to sweet melodies and heart-throbbing percussion. It was Beyond Words: An Evening of Divine Poetry by Tamsin Rothschild, with music by Milo Page and Ron Beimel.

The title of the show perfectly captures Tamsin’s ability to transcend language by unabashedly revealing her heart on stage. I’ve seen her in other appearances both poetic and theatrical, but in this show she has outdone herself. The title “Beyond Words” also reminded me that I have recently found myself speechless about my precious experiences at a 28-day Insight IV seminar, and the six-day culminating experience of the Master’s in spiritual psychology at USM. Since graduating from USM at Royce Hall last Sunday, I’ve been fielding innocent questions from friends who want to know what I gained from “The Summer of 2007”. While I hesitate to encapsulate it in words, I am prompted now to share a key that rang true once more tonight.

What goes beyond words? In yoga this weekend, Kira prompted me to reflect on the concept of prana, chi, and “this increasingly nebulous word, energy.” Energy speaks louder than the language of tongues, and that is why Tamsin’s poetry has mass appeal. She transcends demographics and transforms the listener. Her poetry is a tapestry of intimate human experiences finely woven with her natural knowing of the divine truth that resonates in every heart.

As I listened, I remembered a truth that I gleaned this summer: when one speaks from the heart, people listen. Any experienced presenter can advise that when you go up “in your head”, the audience tunes out and the performance looses momentum. Getting the information straight is but a tiny fraction of communication. Out beyond words is the place where we detect subtle shifts in the inner environment of the presenter. Being present is far more important than technical accuracy. Totally independent of the speaker’s skill level or whether or not they have something compelling to say, the one quality that reigns supreme is heart. Does the speaker have heart.

On Sunday, I received the treat of hearing world-renown author Jean Houston address my graduating class during the commencement exercises, and also in a private talk before the ceremony. She filled the great hall with a huge energy, one I can only compare to the statue of someone like Martin Luther King, Jr. She came armed with well-crafted words, a voice of silken strength and clockwork timing. She strode up on stage and showed us what major league looks like. But far beyond her skill as an orator (as Robert dubbed her), was her presence. Simply put, it all came together because she had heart.

So it is a lovely thing this evening to reflect on how universal this principle of heart is. Tonight a much less daunting but equally magnificent poet moved me to tears in an intimate little theater. Tamsin offered a window into her very being. This confirms my suspicion that it takes great courage to be a poet, for poetry can only blossom under the light of authenticity. Alive and vulnerable, she held me captivated throughout. I delighted in her wit and childlike wonder, and felt my heart strewn across the black stage by words of longing, poignancy, and most of all, awakening.

If you have ever heard a speaker, a poet, or a performer who offered their heart through their words, you may know what it means to have someone speaking directly into your heart. Your mind flits about catching stray words while something much deeper inside of you soaks in affirmations of what you already know. In true communication, we are brought together as one. This is the greater purpose beyond words. As I continue along my path as a presenter of words, let me set my course here and now: May I always courageously call out the truth, and may I always speak with heart.

In awareness, figure out what is going on with you inside.
As you start to go toward "your future" in the form of
another person, another relationship, another financial
venture, another job, or another physical location, are you
going forward, as you are right now?

Or are you going forward into fantasyville in order to
escape from a feeling of loss, which may be based on past
experiences? Before you get with that reactive elevator or
yo-yo, it can help you to recognize that an external
situation will not solve an internal conflict.

- John-Roger

One of the questions I hear most often is about when to do the weekly review. A regular review of all your outstanding agreements is one of the most powerful activities you can do to maintain perspective and increase relaxation. When you should do it is a case-by-case answer, thus most productivity experts hesitate to dictate a rule about it. So let's talk about the different options you might consider, based on your specific job considerations. Then I leave it to you to use your natural knowing to decide.

I. What time of day should I do my review?

People have different preferences for various times of day. Many people have the most energy available first thing in the morning, in the evening, or late at night. I have never encountered anyone who has a peak in energy in the mid-afternoon (without the use of caffeine). I suspect this is because most people have just eaten lunch, have been working for a significant amount of time, and the warmth of the day invites sleep. Whatever the reason, my main suggestion here is to avoid the afternoon (despite how easy it can be to put the review off until later, later, later.)

Choose a time to do your strategic planning and reviewing that fits your energy level. Find out if you are a morning person or a night person, and do the review accordingly. If you are low on energy or feeling bored, do not do the review. Go for a walk, take a break, or water a plant. You will thank yourself for the gift of a focused review, which frees up new ideas and creative energy.

II. What day of the week should I do my review?

Friday - The most popular day of the week to do the review. Pros: you are relaxed and clear going in to your weekend, you get an opportunity to review nearly everything you completed during the previous work week, and it prepares you to start again on Monday with a clean working system. Cons: little opportunity to follow up on Waiting For items since the work week is almost over, and you may uncover items which would have been more strategically handled earlier in the week.

Thursday - Thursday has gained a loyal following amongst some GTD users because it answers the problem of the Friday review, giving you plenty of time to follow up with colleagues, Waiting For items, and to complete any essential projects you made need to do before the end of the work week. In addition, some people have discovered that by doing their review the day before their colleagues do theirs, they feel "ahead of the game." Be careful not to get too immersed in that game! The disadvantage of a Thursday would simply be not being as close to the weekend when you get that breath of fresh air.

Monday - I only recommend a Monday review in two cases: 1) you didn't get to the review on Friday or 2) The week ahead looks challenging and some brilliant stroke of prioritizing could be your life raft. If you see a week coming up that contains particularly critical work, you might use the weekly review to clear the decks, and your mind. The basic part of human consciousness likes seeing all of our agreements objectified, and once it has that it can then support and cooperate with your priorities.

Sunday - Many executives and CEOs prefer a Sunday review because it adds a quality of leisure to the process. There's nothing wrong with using little tricks to get yourself into the discipline of the review, or any habit for that matter. Some tricks I have seen work well for people: wear a special outfit, reward yourself with your favorite drink, play your favorite piece of music, plan a just-for-fun activity directly after the review, or incorporate self-appreciation and nurturing activities into the review itself. You can do a "Sunday Review" anytime during the week. But the culturally-approved structure of weekdays and weekends seems to make it easier to access relaxed focus after normal business hours.

In summary:

Know that you are uniquely capable of managing your energy level based on the time of day, the day of the week, and your "hard landscape" (commitments on the calendar). Choose times that work for you to do strategic review and planning. Be willing to adjust according to the feedback your body gives you. Make it enjoyable. The review is your opportunity to close the loop on all of your agreements, and acknowledge yourself as you acknowledge your current reality.