Three Cheers For Sloth, Indolence, And Procrastination!

"Folks, can we hear it for sloth, indolence, and procrastination!!!!!???" (Thunderous applause and raucous cheers.)

That's how I'm starting many of my seminars these days. And it always gets thunderous applause and raucous cheers. I think it hits a nerve.

Why? Because few people have many good reference points for self-forgiveness and a sense of humor in this world of increasingly too much to do.

I've been working on both (self-forgiveness and sense of humor) for decades now, and still find it quite challenging for myself at times. But you know, when I'm in a loving, whole and healthy state of mind about myself and about life, everything's cool. Where I am, doing what I'm doing, is exactly where I need to be and what I need to do. Tomorrow is just fine right where it is, not showing up until then.

And I don't seem to get to that wonderful state of mind by working harder and faster. Sometimes it helps, but more often it just perpetuates the angst.

I get there by letting go, softening my grip, getting quiet. That's when I can get a peek between the seconds, and in the particularly delicious moments experience the grandeur of just being. That doesn't happen by working harder or smarter. It doesn't happen by working at all. It just happens.

But there is a skill, an awareness, a knowing about letting it happen, recognizing the value of those moments, and loosening up the strangle-hold we often put on too many things that don't deserve the seriousness. Then those things that just happen, happen more often.

You can't know sloth, indolence and procrastination without having a reference point of the opposites of those. It's just the polarities of human experience. And if you actually did get it all done, Time would be out of a job.

At this time of year it's appropriate to talk about one of the most mysterious best practices in self-management: the art of speeding up by slowing down.

I am making the assumption that we are all on some track of improvement and growth to begin with. I mean, why speed up, instead of slow down, as an end-result? If we were here to merely fulfill entropy, the thicker, duller, slower, and generally more unconscious we became, the more on track we would experience ourselves. I have to admit I do have some component that seems to align with that -- my comedy team of Sloth and Indolence, with their cute little assistant, Gravity.

But there is a more dynamic and more "real" part of me, and of you. It is naturally buoyant, has direction, is continually expansive and is in upward movement. The trick is how to maximize our alignment with that, how to truly access more and more of that refreshing, rewarding, and fulfilling aspect of ourselves. Is working harder required to get there? No.

One of the most subtle ways the better aspect of us retreats is in busy-ness. Losing perspective in trying to control everything, finish it all, fix it all -- all at once. Getting things done out of frustration instead of inspiration. Helping out of compulsion, not compassion. (Which kind of gardening did you do yesterday?)

One of the greatest lessons I have learned and continually must practice is that in order to really be in control, I must surrender. In the martial arts (and golf) things must be held lightly. Grabbing too tight, whether it's my ego, my trowel, or my action lists, can be dangerous and ultimately ineffective. I must at a moment's notice be ready to let go, walk away from it all, and do nothing. Nothing at all. I think I'll practice it some more.

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You can find out more about David Allen and GTD at DavidCo.com.

Come back every Monday for more tips on productivity from David Allen.

Comments

[Riverwolf]

This reminds me of chaos theory, that says, roughly, even when things go awry, there may be a hidden order beneath it all. This is so hard to learn, but over the last few months, I've had a crash course while helping my partner recover from a stroke. I've had twice as much to accomplish and half the time. I've tried to control it all, and I've learned how silly that is.

I like David warning about doing things out of "compulsion not compassion." Compulsion has been my middle name over the last few months, but now that things are better with my partner's health, he needs more compassion. I'm working on that.

I'm fortunate to be in a creative occupation, but I've still had to learn that sometimes you have to let things simmer in order for real creativity to take place. Deadlines have sucked the life right out of me in the past. If you plan accordingly, you can work in the time to be procrastinate--and actually get better results.

http://idiosyntocracy.blogspot.com/

[larry278]

This is a patently absurd blog & idea. Do you want us to become clones of W? Just 1 W has already destroyed the USA. The job has been done. Why work at it?

[BeyondPopper]

As a former troll working in the depths of the federal bureaucracy in the Department or State, I must mention one part of this you left out.

The role played by those who don't really do all that much more, but have perfected the art of looking busy.

Those who get things done quickly and easily, and don't spend hours worrying about fussy little details that make no difference to getting the job done, are seen as "not serious" and thus not worthy.

Those who stay 'till eight or nine every night, obsessively read every document that fills their ever-growing in-tray, turn work in three seconds before it's due, can't be found only because the pile of paper on their desks blocks the view, are seen as hard-working.

My own problem was -- and this was mentioned as a criticism in one of my evaluation reports -- that I would accomplish things too quickly, turn in assigned tasks too much before deadline, never stay late, and always have a cleared desk. I did too much, too easily, so I was clearly not leadership material.

I the other hand was the DCM who never put a single sheet of paper in her out box, never signed off on a single decision, followed the rule that the best way to avoid mistakes is to do nothing at all. She followed this strategy to the point that our ambassador had her transferred out, preferring no one at all to the black hole of paper that her desk had become. The result was that she was promoted the next year.

Yes, sloth is one thing. Another is pretending to be busy (The woman above stayed in the office until ten every night. What she did in that time, we never had a clue.) yet doing less than nothing.

And government is not the only workplace where such actions -- and such upside down standards -- and common.

What do you do if you charge by the hour, and do ten times as much as expected?

[bethinCary]

I think you also have to have a belief -THAT things will be OK. You have to quit letting those little "what ifs"...what if I don't do this...or that...creep into your mind,negative thoughts-and KICK IT TO THE CURB. If answers are not coming to your mind-in the spirit of doing-that's a good indicator to move past that-and try something else.Replace it with positive thought-and the universe will answer you. You'll be surprised at how quickly that problem will get solved when you stop focusing so intently on it.

[cktirumalai]

I have for years believed in the virtue of creative indolence, letting the mind lie seemingly fallow for a while or moving around and around a problem until the most resilient solution begins to emerge. The opposite method comes from the dread of wasting one's time, which may avert pangs of conscience but often produces routine solutions which are not worth having. I do not mind "wasting my time" in the creative sense. A broad approach to any problem requires that as an ingredient. Reading in areas which are not immediately relevant to a question one is considering can lead to very fruitful results.

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

Procrastinators - RISE!!!

[tbone99]

procrastination, sloth and indolence are innate human qualites we can use in the fight against the capitalistic protestant work ethic which has brought our planet to the edge of destruction.

[fairwitness]

Thanks for this--a great reminder on how to begin a week. And a life.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Live in the now, man....one thing that helps
to prevent flying off the handle and losing
concentration and focus is to be able to self-
pace, meaning that you get a little control
over your environment. Some people can run
a floorboarded schedule and deal, other people
can do that for about 6 hours before they
come apart. I think a lot of it is training
your brain to a higher level of performance,
eating correctly, and remembering to breathe.
You can get quite a bit done in 8 hours,
if you plan it out right, don't have any
distractors, or unforeseen obstacles, but
that's where it comes down to the P's,
Proper Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents
P-Poor Performance. A daily rest cycle is
also important, if you're not careful, talking
heads and ringing phones and family members
can all contribute to chronic lack of good
rest. If you don't get your 8 on a regular
basis, you'll end up wishing that you had...
Eat well, rest well, plan well...be well...