Over the past month I’ve been doing a lot of school work and website development on the computer. I notice that its very easy to get caught up in unneccesary distractions and lose focus on the task at hand. For example, while working on a statistical programming problem I wasted two days on what ended up being a dead end, and I kind of knew it from the start.
So as part of an at-home retreat, I’ve recently restarted my dharma practice, devoting the first 5 hours of the day to sitting meditation, reading dharma texts and contemplation.
While it would seem that spending a good part of my day doing not much of anything would reduce my productivity; ironically it has the opposite effect. When I start work after practicing all morning, my head is clear and I am focused. Frivolous distractions have less power to pull me away and if they do I come back faster–just like comng back to the breath.
Things that Id been putting off due to some subtle fear or aversion, now I just lean in and do it fearlessly. What a great feeling.
This insight is not new to me I’ve known it for years. Yet it is still easy to fool oneself into thinkng that the more one works the more one gets done. But as usual quality is more important than quantity. Do less to get more done.
And from a spiritual perspective the only way to get anything done is to do absolutely no-thing.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice post Deryk
I completely agree… now i just need to figure out how to put in some time with 3 young boys who are amazing but completely exhausting. I have heard from many parents that we must work on the ‘practice’ of parenting as the path. But i do believe that there is the deeper layer that remains focal.
I will be entering the path of parenting soon enough
It will be interesting to see how formal practice evolves with kids around.
I wonder if you wouldn’t mind reviewing this concept.
http://goldring.wetpaint.com/page/Quantum+Reality
“The human mind system works like a quantum computer so in order to function properly needs to exist within oneness or wholeness otherwise information isn’t processed properly and incorrect conclusions are reached.
At its most basic level quantum reality is processed in terms of qubits, which is a unit of quantum information and is similar to a binary system where information is stored in two possible states eg 0 and 1 however qubits are different in that they can also exist as a superposition of both.
Due to the fall of man, humanity mainly exists within the lower mind and is thus unable to process quantum reality effectively. Over time trillions of incorrect quantum binary decisions have been made which are then fed into the holographic principle to co-create literally an “upside down” civilization.
Then layer upon layer of complexity is added in an effort to “techno-fix” this reality without ever recognizing its underlying foundational flaws and allowing a basic restructuring.”