In previous posts I have spoken numerous times about moving forward in life, progression, becoming a better person and utilising time to get the maximum out of it. In the time I took off from writing any posts I put a lot of study into a few things that I would like to shed some light on as I feel they’ve really helped put my feelings on progress and productivity into perspective.
If you are not familiar with the Joe Rogan Podcast then I suggest you get familiar and do so soon. The type of person that chooses to read a blog post such as this, I can only assume that it would play up to your tastes. Whilst taking a detox from being online, I used the time to listen to podcasts instead. This was a decision made due a few things which included; podcasts are full of useful information unlike watching food challenge videos on YouTube and also, I don’t have to look at a screen when listening to a podcast so instead I go for a walk whilst they’re consuming my ears. Why am I telling you this? Well, it’s through listening to these podcasts, as well as conducting my own research through reading, that I discovered a few useful practices which I have now implemented into my daily routine.
Firstly, I have been meditating. Every day I set aside some time to do nothing but be still and listen into my breathing. To start I typically do a few breathing exercises along the lines of breath in for 7 seconds, hold for 5, breath out for 7 seconds, hold for 5 and repeat until I feel I am completely present. Then I just think of everything moving really slowly with no sense of time. Practicing this feels a bit like running and training in the sense that, whilst I am doing it, I feel relaxed and grounded, however it is then most useful whilst I am then in the hustle and bustle of daily tasks or work that I can utilise this form of ‘training’.
Let’s say a situation occurs that makes me feel instant stress or frustration, having practiced how to slow down my mind and realise I have control over the feelings and emotions I am able to then rationalise the process. It means life doesn’t seem to be as much of a stress and I am able to think more clearly on situations. This in turn means I can use time more productively as I tend to waste less time in a frustrated or stressful state. One thing I’ve really noticed is how different emotions have common reactions amongst people. For example, when people get angry, they tend to want to destroy things – learners I teach who get frustrated with something they write on a piece of paper will scrunch it up and put it in the bin. Drivers who get annoyed tend to want to drive recklessly just to purge their anger. By practicing the control of mind, in these situations everything slows down and I feel much more able to control how I am going to let the situation effect my mind and what I then do.
The second thing I have implemented is the mantra that a daily ‘suffer’ is essential to being happy and feeling good. The term ‘suffer’ is one I want to change but I use it because this is built upon something I heard the endurance athlete ex-navy seal fitness personality David Goggins say. In one of the podcasts with Joe Rogan, Goggins says that without a daily suffer the human mind is taken over by anxieties and stress and that’s why we need to go out and exercise and push ourselves. Now, I am someone who loves exercise and without going for a run or a swim, every single day, my mind is full of anxiety and stress. However, I do not feel that running or swimming is a ‘suffer’ as I simply love it. But I do feel I agree in some way to what Goggins is saying.
On Tuesday last week I had a lesson observation which, for those who aren’t teachers, is a bit like an inspection form one of the senior members of staff. Now, in the past these have stressed me out and I have felt an incredible amount of pressure in the lead up to them. Once they are done, I get an overwhelming sense of relief but also achievement. When Goggins talked about a daily suffer, I realised that this pressure and stress is essential because the days I go without it I don’t get the endorphin rush from the relief and the achievement. This perspective has elevated my everyday as it’s meant I am now going out of my way to find a daily ‘suffer’. As I said, for me, it can’t be exercise as this is something I love and have been doing every day for like 6-7 years. So instead I have been challenging myself to find productivity ‘suffers’ every single day.
It means that when my boss emails me saying I need to fill out some reports, I accept the challenge, or when my friend and I are training at the gym and he says we should go heavy, I accept the challenge, even something as simple as striking a conversation with someone I don’t particularly want to talk to as I walk through the corridor, I will accept the challenge as I know it will give me that sense of achievement and relieve me of the stress and anxiety. This is great for productivity. It’s partly why I have decided to commit back to regular blog posts because I know the challenge is necessary.
So there you go folks, a few tips from me. Meditate – learn to control your mind – you wont always get it right but you’ll get it right more often than you would if you don’t learn. Take up a daily challenge or ‘suffer’, it will leave you feeling better than you did before and that’s why it’s always worth it.
My challenge today is to apply for a new job role, very similar to what I am doing now just more responsibility and more of a challenging role – meaning an even better daily life.
Peace out people.
BG
benedict. 