I am a self-proclaimed striver, and I don't say this in a prideful way. Indeed, being a striver can be akin to being an alcoholic. After spending decades intentionally grinding for survival's sake, it's hard to put it down. It becomes second nature to always strive. From 2000 to 2016, while raising a family with my wife, I drove a truck during the day and went to night school to earn my associate's degree. I quickly transitioned into the software development field, first in testing and then into development, while going to school in the evenings to earn my bachelor's and master's degrees. All while running my business and leading my team in my IT Consulting business.
I can remember time and time again visiting my Mom, sitting down, and having long conversations about life and what's happening in the world. Then I get to the point where I say, "I'm tired. I'm clearing my plate, and I'm just going focus on this one thing and just enjoy life. " It never fails. I have something else major on my plate in less than five days. It seems vital, important, worthy, and justified. Then, life continues as before, with multiple significant commitments, projects, and initiatives. Today, while tackling some amazing digital transformation projects in a CIO role, I also have a team of folks helping establish a nonprofit organization and continue to advance our community initiatives, including the Urbana Black Heritage Festival. Oh, and I started a band. And we're pretty serious.
In our fast-paced world, where the hustle culture often glorifies being perpetually busy, the concept of slow productivity emerges as a beacon of hope for those yearning for a more intentional way of living. Inspired by the teachings of thought leaders like Cal Newport, Author Brooks, and Greg McKeown, Moving into 2024, I embarked on a journey to embrace slow productivity, not just as a practice but as a lifestyle.
The Turning Point: Discovering Slow Productivity
Cal Newport, a Computer Science Professor and author of his new book, Slow Productivity, can afford the annual summer sabbatical, during which he can retreat to a paradise in the New England states and lock himself down in a single focused retreat to do deep work. Alas, I'm not so fortunate. So, my mission is to study this concept of slow productivity and find ways to incorporate it into my life. Greg McKeown, author of "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," has also captured my attention. It will not be an easy mission to upend multiple decades of relentless striving by crafting a new lifestyle practice based on these concepts of slow productivity and essentialism. I do think that over the years, I have done well with weeding out the nonessential and focusing on what matters in my life. But I often feel tired and sometimes even overwhelmed. But that could be due to my stepping out of my comfort zone and working on new and vitally important initiatives. I'm OK with that.
Slow productivity is about obsessing over quality rather than quantity. It's about making wise investments of your time to achieve the most important aspects of your life. It's not about how many tasks you can tick off your to-do list but about the significance of each task and the value it adds to your life. Slow productivity emphasizes the importance of being intentional with my time and energy, focusing on what truly matters.
This last point is significant. What truly matters in your life? As you contemplate what slow productivity and essentialism mean to you, I propose the first step is cultivating a vision for your life, and from this will emerge what truly matters to you. Once this is done, then you can focus on intentionally living accordingly. This is where obsessing over quality and focusing on the essentials can be most powerful.
An Invitation to Join the Journey
I invite you to join me on this journey of slow productivity and essentialism on the way to discovering your purpose. Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where we'll explore how to cultivate a vision for your life, set strategic goals, and apply and customize the principles of slow productivity and essentialism to achieve a more abundant and fulfilling life. This is not just about doing less; it's about doing what's essential, with intention and purpose.
Kommentare