How the Yogis Prioritize

I used to think that success was checking everything off of my to-do list. In this version of my work life, I would just start at the top and work my way down the list. When I got stuck, I would pass it up and do something else.

I was operating from my primitive brain, which means that every time something felt a little hard, I would save it for later when I would be less distracted or wouldn’t have that meeting in 30 minutes. You get the picture. What happened was all the hardest things ended at the bottom of my list, and it would take me days to get them done. They would actually only get done once I had a screaming deadline.

I finally accepted that this was the “way I am” - deadline driven and unmotivated until threat of total crash and burn.

When I became more responsible for proposals, new business pitches and other people, I couldn’t operate this way anymore. Proposals and pitches were normally the hardest work I needed to do and required the most focus. Even on a “good, creative” day, they would eventually lead me to some wall, and I’d put it off to later. Later usually meant working at the office until 9 or at home until midnight. I was willing to do this for only so long.

I was able to flip the narrative and switch once I learned about presence and non-attachment. The yogis teach us that we only have right NOW, and we can only take action right NOW and when we take action, do so with attachment to the outcome.

When I learned this, I was able to get everything done (even as my responsibilities grew), leave the office on time and get rave reviews from my boss and team.

When we tap into the now, we’re not on our phones, we’re not interrupted by emails or by others asking for things. If you’re a manager, you might read that and think, “Yeah, seems nice, but that would never happen for me. There are emergencies all day.”

A yogi master can meditate peacefully in the middle of Times Square during an apocalypse, but I knew that I’m not so advanced. Still, I had power to create an environment in which I could focus uninterrupted. My version of that was time blocking my calendar, and booking a call room where my team couldn’t reach me. When I created this time and space, I was able to tap into the NOW and focus on my most important tasks and goals.

I learned to un-attach from some outcomes too. My team learned to function without immediate access to me for a few hours each day. I learned that the result that I created in that time on important projects was enough whether I felt creative or not. This released me from low-level thinking and operating, and launched me to achieve my best work.

If you’re only getting things done on a deadline, or always run out of time, send me a message on the “Contact” page to set up a free call to discover how to achieve your best work in the office and bring your best self home.