We live our lives in constant pressure of overcoming chaos and disorder every minute, every second of the day. Our day is not complete without accomplishing every task we do. Unfortunately, we are always inundated with personal errands and work projects that we fail to keep track of the important things! We need full control in what we do but constant procrastination keeps us from accomplishing our work. Perhaps, we need to learn a valuable lesson from the teachings of Zen masters.
Popular Zen master Shunryu Suzuki, the man who popularized Zen and Buddhism to the West with his seminal work Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, once said “Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” If we put Zen into perspective, it’s all about concentrating our effort on what we do, no matter how big or small our task is and removing all background noises that keep us from achieving our full potential. When you talk about background noise, these are everyday distractions and the ‘let’s do it tomorrow’ mindset.
Even if we use a sophisticated task manager to keep us in line with our personal schedule and project timetable, we still need self-discipline and commitment. We can spend hours working on a very important task but if we don’t have the Zen attitude to stick with the process then we won’t finish work in time. Minimize all distractions by following a plan that organizes every task and project. You will be surprised at how much work you can complete in time with an organized system that reminds you of task deadlines ahead.
What kind of system is it? It is a task management system that handles countless tasks involving thousands of users in every possible work process for every type of organization. Following a system in a Zen-like zeal is a very effective way of removing all distractions and background noises. If want to manage tasks effectively then you may have to follow what a famous samurai did. Legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi emphasized the idea of background noise reduction in his famous work The Book of Five Rings. His book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy is applicable in today’s task management.
1. Unburden your mind
Don’t spend a lot of time on what to do, write all your tasks down. By using task scheduler, keep up with your daily and weekly targets so that you will know what to accomplish.
2. Be a monk
You don’t have to go into a monastery to stay away from all the distractions in daily life, you only have to practice self-discipline to separate personal life from work. A lot of productive and creative individuals have decided to seclude themselves from all the chaos by focusing their effort on their work.
3. Interact with the world around you
Don’t keep yourself away from all the interactions around you. You can get all the motivation and inspiration by just talking to people you work with.
4. Get things done
Structure your work by managing your tasks and prioritize important things to do. Create a workflow that doesn’t require complicated plans.
5. Embrace commitment
There are many strategies to manage procrastination but there is one thing that will help you overcome that emotional impasse – COMMITMENT. Bear in mind: lack of commitment = lose track of your work.
6. Recharge your strength
The harder you work the more energy you consume. While you are still energized, do your tasks so that you get things done faster and better.
7. Stay calm under pressure
Amidst the hassles of daily grind, you can still find calmness under pressure. Embrace harmony, relax and breathe deeply as you finish tasks without the distractions.
8. Be goal-oriented
A task without a definite target date would never get done on time. Zen gurus would advise you to be goal-oriented by keeping every deadline on schedule.
9. Stop thinking, act right away
Conquer indecision, make a choice, and act on it. Choose a task management platform that helps you make decisive actions and complete tasks in no time.
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