Being productive is more like going on a hike than floating down a river. And sometimes I am floating down a river, going with the flow of whatever happens next. It’s not productive, because I’m not actually going anywhere I need to be.
I need to plant my feet, let the water and the the distractions and the unimportant just flow away, and start heading towards a destination that I really want to go to. I can get momentum that way, but it’s momentum with purpose, instead of just going with the flow of whatever.
I can spend too long trying to figure out what direction I am going. I often just need stop planning and do the thing instead.
But sometimes I am doing the wrong things. I get caught climbing the wrong mountain, or climbing too many mountains, working with purpose towards something that has little worth. I need to simplify my like, because I often plan more than I can ever do. I need to prioritize. I need to eliminate things I don’t want to eliminate.
Sometimes my projects are long and slow, stretching out into years. But if I work small steps along the way, the finish line comes closer and closer.
Sometimes I get things done quickly, and then fix them later. And that can be a good way to work.
Sometimes I only do things poorly, or half-baked, and it never gets fixed, and that’s okay.
Sometimes I have to cross out some of my goals because other things are better.
Sometimes I slowly wade into something instead of jumping in. Sometimes I need to jump in more quickly. Sometimes wading in slowly is still fine–because I’m heading in the right direction. Keep going.
Sometimes I keep trying, but I give myself grace along the way, realizing that I am not perfect, but I’m trying.
Sometimes I have to remember that life is more than getting things done and it’s okay to have leisure time and to do things I want to do.
And sometimes I just mess up and do things completely wrong. But sometimes, I get things right.
Heather Hoyt 