Reflections on Productivity and Spirituality
Volume 23, Chapter II, Number 010
Hello!
This Week’s One Great Thing: Reflections on Productivity and Spirituality
Today, I’d like to share some of my initial reflections on two concepts that are dear in and have changed how I’ve lived my life: Productivity and Spirituality.
Many people have called me a productivity geek. I have been invited to talk about productivity that I use in my life and work: GTD (Getting Things Done), Time Blocking, the Pomodoro Technique, the PARA method, the Time Sector system, and others. I am also asked about the different apps that I use on my laptop and phone (that will be a topic of another letter), probably because a lot of my friends are geeks at heart and we just love becoming better at our work.
Just as many (or even more people) know me because of my spirituality. During the pandemic for example, I helped found a group called the Ignatian Hub for Spirituality, and we organised several online retreats. I am also a Spiritual Director and even as I do counselling (which is non-denominational), my coaching and counselling is informed by my spirituality.
This experience of listening and helping people make sense of their experiences in close quarters made me realise that these two are not really separate parts of my life but are integrated: Productivity provides me with a structure such that when I am organised and productive, I have more space and freedom to focus on things that give me joy, creativity, and spiritual growth. On the other hand, Spirituality helps me to be more mindful and intentional about how I use my time and energy and inner resources. This in turn helps me to be productive.
This is especially true when it comes to creative work like writing. I have realised that one needs to take some time to be still, to meditate, and listen to the unseen, to a place within me that is open to the infinite possibilities of creation before one embarks on a creative task. In a very real way, productivity and spirituality are intertwined, providing me with the opportunity to seek a greater purpose in my life, while at the same time, managing my time, energy , and resources effectively.
I realise that by being a productivity and spirituality “geek”, I am productive with a purpose. I work with more joy and enthusiasm in a way that makes my life more meaningful and more intentional. As Parker Palmer would say:
“The soul needs space where it can take off its shoes, stretch out its legs, and remember how to walk in circles of grace.”
At the same time, it is important to remember that both productivity and spirituality go beyond just getting things done more efficiently or “finding balance”. Rather, they are both about the cultivation of meaning, in all aspects of life. Meaning is the fuel of humanity. When things have meaning, when life makes sense, we move forward in life.
In my experience, when one finds meaning and purpose, you are closer to real productivity. Clarity of mission is key to productivity because this helps to provide direction and focus for an individual or organization. When people understand their mission and the goals they are working towards, they are more motivated and engaged in their work, and are able to make better use of their time and resources. Having a clear mission also helps to prioritise tasks and decisions, as it allows individuals and organisations to focus on the most important and impactful work. This can help to increase productivity by ensuring that time and resources are not wasted on tasks that are not directly related to the Mission. This integration of productivity and spirituality helps me to find that meaning in my life — my family and personal life — and in my work.
My commitment to being productive is the result of an internal motivation to improve my performance while improving my wellbeing. Indeed, the glory of God is man fully alive. And we are called to be fully alive in all aspects of our lives — including and specially at work. Consider this, if you are not fully alive at work — where you spend more than 8 hrs of every day — then you are not fully alive for 1/3rd of your life!
As I continue to grow and evolve as an individual, I’m really excited to see how productivity and spirituality will continue to shape my life going forward. There is a spirituality to productivity, we just need to uncover it in our lives.
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More Great Stuff:
Here’s The Number One Thing That Makes Relationships Successful
- Read about the results of a study of more than 40,000 couples about to begin couples therapy and how the study predicts with 94% accuracy whether a marriage would last — after observing the couples for just 15 minutes.
- Drs John and Julie Gottman who are married psychologists themselves talk about TURNING TOWARDS (vs TURNING AWAY and TURNING AGAINST) as the #1 relationship hack and predictor of a successful relationship.
American Men Suffer a Friendship Recession
- A new survey by the Survey Center on American Life finds that the number of close friends Americans have has decreased over the past three decades.
- The friendship recession is particularly bad for men. The percentage of men with at least six close friends fell by half since 1990, from 55% to 27%.
- Single men fare the worst, with 1 in 5 unmarried men reporting not having any close friends.
- Men with a couple of close friends are not in great shape, as those with 3 or fewer close friends experience loneliness and isolation frequently.
- Men also report being less emotionally connected to the friends they have. Women report higher rates of emotional engagement with and support from their friends.
- Possible explanations for men's difficulty in developing and maintaining close relationships include traditional norms of masculinity, lack of effort in maintaining friendships, lower religious involvement, lower marriage rates, greater geographic mobility, and changes in the workplace.
Ok! Now pause, get yourself to a window, look up to the sky, smile, and have a great day! Look forward to send you another letter next week!
☕ eric santillan