90 Days of ILP

One thing painfully omitted from the first version of the ILP kit is the notion of purpose, especially as it applies to our working life (an oh-so-crucial component of 20-somethings trying to make their way into the world). This explains why, contra more meditation and esoteric literature, I've been lately addicted to such gung-ho personal power books like The 80/20 Individual or Napolean Hill's classic (and classically weird) Think and Grow Rich.

As I read, I realize that what I encounter in my daily work life -- distraction, lack of motivation -- is something that could be partially remedied by introducing a ritual component to my 8-hour task eradication sessions. Lest you think I'm advocating the taking of Holy Communion while cleaning out my inbox, or sacrificing wee baby lambs on an altar designated for the adoration of Demeter during a conference call, I challenge you to consider something far more secular: a checklist and a stopwatch.

Checklist: Oftimes the things distracting me during a work session are idiotic hindrances easily nixed with a bit of forethought: swollen bladders, thirsty pallets, too-tight belts, unanswered time-sensitive voicemails, etc. The best thing to do, I've found, is to treat each 2-3 hour work block (that amount of time devoted to a single, large, gruesome/fun project) the way one would a formal meditation session at a Zendo: get everything out of the way so you can fully immerse yourself in the activity. If you find that you forget to eat, or pee, or call back Uncle Bob about the Sonoma Valley timeshare before settling in to do that logo for Bob's Non-Gay Hair Salon, preempt this Alzheimer's Moment by writing it the frick down to remind yourself.

Stopwatch: This banks on the old saw that "work expands to fill the time allotted to it." Rather than setting your day's work horizons wide -- "I'll just get whatever I can get done before the sun goes down behind that cliff shaped like the wounded indian" -- break your major tasks into chunks, determine a time limit for each, and set a stopwatch to countdown the allotted time. When it beeps, you finish, whether your work sucks or not. Deadlines work, baby.

Not much of an idea, but it's a start. Look to this blog for future developments as I try to wrestle my way through the daily Energy Suck on the way to a happier, more productive tomorrow.