Productivity is defined as the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth.
On the individual level nobody needs to live below their potential. But what do we do when the mind takes a downward tumble? We need to know how to switch directions. Give the mind a reset.
How does a 'reset' work?
The reset I am talking about works through the oldest living science in the world, the science of yoga. The first pillar of wellness is yoga, the other three being food, thought, and sleep. So a reset can be collectively initiated by the four pillars of wellness.
What does the reset do?
A reset ups the productivity. A healthy gut, spirited body, resilient mind, and free flowing prana (life-force) brings it alive. The gut microbiome and the brain are interconnected. What we eat affects what we think and vice versa. Stress response could originate in the gut or the brain, both being bi-directional. The systems of rest and hormonal signaling utilize stress as a stepping stone to eustress. This is the good kind of stress, and it brings about sharp focus, rational thinking, and solutions.
Being awake is the first step to productivity
The very act of generating, creating, enhancing is an immensely alive experience. It brings us awake! Working with such an energy is akin to dynamic meditation. It invigorates the mind and body, and anchors us to the present, rooting out the yawns that can’t but help surface when we are not in the act (of creating, generating, or enhancing).
Letting the creative force in
Creation fuels learning, which leads to neurogenesis. Creating is an unfettered engagement. It opens up vistas and new horizons. Creating results is exciting and it gets us itching to bite into the next challenge. Creating makes us fall in love with ourselves and our inherent potential. Being happy with ourselves is a magnetic state. It draws appreciation and people. Creative energy or productive energy is infectious.
The formula for neurogenesis
The basis of the formula for neurogenesis is self-awareness. It starts with knowing what we really want and meditating on it daily, i.e. we sit with closed eyes for 10 minutes with a focused and exploring mind for 11 days. Then, from the 12th day onward, we give pin-pointed attention to the result of the 11 days of sitting. This is followed by another 11 days of sitting while holding that result consciously, which will take it deep into our psyche and create a new pathway.
Looking at productivity beyond the numbers
It is inherently fed into humans to be productive. Those we call workaholics may just have been bitten by the productivity bug. Once we get a taste of productivity, it engages us from our core, keeping us curious, engrossed, and believing in the promise of life. Productivity connects us to ourselves and our lives at the soul level. Productivity is no numbers game.
Using spiritual intelligence to power productivity
At the heart of productivity lies spiritual intelligence. It inspires us to live in coherence with our life’s purpose–using the mind to believe in our convictions, our body for persistent action, and spirit for illumination–and thus enhance our work skills and our lives.
Setting up a good productivity system
We can tune in to our productive side in one fell swoop by using the 'breakpoints' in our day. These are watershed moments which we seize to align to our purpose. Moments that we fill with our alertness are breakpoints. We encounter these breakpoints throughout the day: when we wake up, start work, eat, exercise, etc. We also include fresh air, sunlight and relaxation in our day to feed our productive juices. Finally, when we move into sleep, we can find rest by mindfully breathing in and out, while letting go of our limbs.
The breakpoint system can get the feel-good chemicals flowing
Breakpoints have to be used intelligently. Anticipating our patterns of avoidance or procrastination while approaching a breakpoint can keep us out of them. We have to keep the focus on knowing that doing things that are good for us can actually make us feel good. They release dopamine, the feel-good chemical in the brain flooding us with happiness. The left and right brains get aligned to create a union between flow and function.
