Zen is an ancient Japanese form of meditation which brings calmness and peace to our lives. All we obtain with Zen helps us focus on what is most important in our lives, bringing satisfaction and happiness along the way. Zen Habits or as we know them, are the quest for simplicity and mindfulness in the daily chaos and the amalgamation of small habits that declutter our mind and fill it with the power of staying productive.
Imagine creating space for what matters instead of producing a lot of widgets. Imagine working more productively and leisurely than with stress. Imagine giving your personal life as much importance as you hoped you might. If any of it sounds appealing, then let’s examine some Zen Habits for productivity tips that have worked well for leaders.
1. Focus more on less
Zen is about clarity and minimalism to bring a laser focus on a few things which matter the most. We don’t need a closet organiser if our wardrobe just holds a few items of clothing. A comprehensive schedule organiser is unnecessary if we only have one or two appointments scheduled for the day. Spreading oneself too thin by trying to do too much at once increases the risk the stress and makes us less productive.
2. Planning the Week
One of the most productive habits which have paid leaders huge dividends in achieving results is planning the week on Sunday evening.
Planning the week ahead gives the mind to already identify the important targets to be achieved before the other unscheduled priorities start taking up space in our calendar. This also provides flexibility to create space for important personal commitments which may otherwise get missed.
3. Identify the top productive hours
Identifying the sweet spot for productive hours is the key to finishing the most important tasks during these hours. Mornings have worked best for some of us providing the cognitive bandwidth and focus to finish important tasks before the other priorities start taking over. So, identifying the spot during the day when one can work with complete focus on tasks at hand and making the most of it is the key to staying productive.
Bringing it all together!
Bringing these simple habits into our daily and weekly schedules can bring a lot of calmness to our lives despite living a chaotic work schedule. However, when we are at work, concentrate on a task that needs to be completed. Even though one may feel as though one has too much on the plate, all one can do is give one thing at a time one’s whole attention. This is what Zen philosophy is all about, to bring our attention to the present moment and give our best to it.