You can’t imagine how much productivity is lost through crayon inefficiencies. The problem is so bad that my coworker’s son, Owen, posted a plea on his Facebook page asking Crayola for help.
“Dear Crayola,
I think you should make a color called blue white swirl. I think you should make blue white swirl because I don't want to keep switching crayons when coloring the sky and clouds. I feel the same way when coloring an ocean with icebergs. And I feel the same way when coloring Penn State stuff.
You may not think it's that bad, but I think it takes too long to switch back and forth between crayons.”
Owen is a busy writer, artist, musician and structural engineer. That's a roller coaster in the background that he has been building in the living room for the past 6 weeks. His mom has given the construction crew a July 1 completion deadline.
Is there hope?
Maybe Crayola will hear Owen’s plea, and we can all save tremendous amounts of time when we have a sky to color. But what will we do with our new-found free time? Fill up again with something else?
True productivity goes beyond the capacity to check more things off your to-do-list. It is the productivity you find when you simplify your life. It is the productivity of entering “the zone” on a project you really care about. It is the productivity you feel when your life is in perfect balance, if only for a moment.
There are two blogs that I find really helpful in refocusing my energies on healthy productivity.
Zen Habits
Zen Habits is a blog by Leo Babauta, writer, husband and father of six. As he puts it “ Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, and find happiness.
Productive Flourishing
Productive Flourishing is written by Charlie, a former philosophy professor and a logistics officer in the Army National Guard. His blog talks about the art of meaningful action that he describes as that sweet spot between incessant daydreaming and mindless doing.
What are you favorite ways to move from assembly line productivity to something that truly feeds your soul?
Great post Marie!
ReplyDeleteWhat I like to do is journal. Sometimes when I have a question or challenge, I will just start to write. Sometimes I go into a zone where I don't even realize what's flowing. I go back and re-read the entry, I'm amazed at what I find. That really feeds my soul.
Thanks Stacy! I know you get a lot of value out of journaling. I need to give it a try. It would be a good excuse to buy a pretty notebook.
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