Conscious Living: How To Improve Your Productivity By Managing The Art Of Doing One Thing At A Time

It’s not just the number of hours we’re working, but also the fact that we spend too many continuous hours juggling too many things at the same time. We are the generation who eats while watching TV, who texts on the phone while trying to read a book, who multitasks at work almost the whole day.

We are the generation that opens the computer to do something until we notice that we are already more than 5 minutes jumping from tabs in the browser between tasks, we are the generation that rushes to start something new before finishing what we are already doing. We are the generation that, instead of listening, thinks about other things when someone is talking to us.

We are the generation who is always listening to a podcast when driving, adding things to our never ending to-do lists, or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or Facebook whenever we sit down for a moment of quietness.

Not a surprise, we are so often multitasking we don't know how to stay quiet for a minute. We don't know how to allow ourselves to be bored and content with the art of doing just one thing, or nothing at all.

We tell ourselves that we don’t want to be so busy. But we’re also pretty often unwilling to make the changes to become significantly less busy. The truth is that a positive change in this direction only happens when we are willing to change our behavior or the way we do our daily tasks.

There is a Japanese term, "ichigyo-zammai", which basically means "total concentration in a single act”. I believe that when we do just one activity, we make ourselves present and can finally express our true nature. When we are not present, our true nature cannot express itself completely, but when we focus on what we are doing, we begin to express our true self.

And consequently, we perform a task more fully, more efficiently and faster. That way we have more tasks completed at the end of the day and we feel better with ourselves.

The art of doing only one thing at a time can be compared to a meditation. And just as in meditation there are several factors that can help to positively influence the outcome.

DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS

As we begin a task we must remember to keep all our focus on that activity without making room for distractions. Of course, they will appear, but remember to return then to focus and momentum. If you work on the computer or on the internet just like me and start noticing that you are opening several tabs and losing focus on what you had already started, close everything again and return your focus to the initial task.

ENVIRONMENT

It is inevitably easier to focus on something when you find yourself in a calmer environment without too much noise or outside impulses. Or an environment that makes us feel relaxed. Whether this is your empty office, your living room or a beach bungalow.

SELF MOTIVATION

Every change and improvement will come from yourself. You are the one who has to motivate yourself to persist and do better. It's not easy at first, but remember: it only takes 7 days to create a habit. Our mind is our most powerful tool, and it can always be exercised and conditioned to do what we want.

Just write. Just take a shower. Just give someone your full attention.

By giving each activity our full attention, we begin to appreciate each person, each object, everything around us as worthy of respect, love, and gratitude. This is one small step to a more conscious lifestyle.

And there is incredible value in that.