Why productivity is the new mindfulness?

I've been searching my whole life for methods that would induce an expanded state awareness; where my mind would expand and relax all-together, allowing me to access greater cognitive and strategic abilities.

The usual suspects like mindfulness, transcendental meditation, yoga etc. have always been part of my life, but didn't deliver consistent results to allow me to live a stress-free life.

To my big surprise, it's a method centered on productivity and efficiency from David Allen that did the trick and continues to support me in dependable ways. After so many years of practice, I realized that there is as much spiritual intelligence in that method as there is in any of the oriental practices.

The psychological relief is a big gain. The fear-figures of the mind get released, allowing for a more accurate perspective to take place.

Rather than explaining them in details, I've decided to use pictures and images; to give a more vicarious understanding of what is at stake.

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Have you ever wonder where do the tasks and problems go when one experience mindfulness? Do they just disappear? Of course not! Relating more wisely to our thoughts and what stresses us can help; but if we continue getting exposed to the factors that cause stress in the first place, we end up in a never ending cycle. Surfing the waves is okay, but often, it's the quietness of the ocean bellow the tapping of the water that is truly what we long for. And to come to this point of stillness and calmness, one need to engage appropriately with each tasks. Not leaving them in the background of our mind, unprocessed, but well in the forefront until we have clearly decided what to do with them so they don't take unnecessary mental space anymore.

Since the executive functions of the brain make the effective executive, what happens when one does not rely on a productivity and efficiency method?

1. When we don't do a conscious inventory of everything we have to do, our mind suspects something potentially risky is hiding in the shadow. Like in the movie Jaw, it's not the shark that is scary, it is not knowing where it is hiding that is driving us crazy. This results in unnecessary worry and distress, due to the anticipation of something lurking around the corner of our mind.

2. Our mind will then improvise on its understanding of what is urgent and will send us reminders at moments that are rarely appropriate, often with an emotional intensity that is out of proportion.

3. Because of our unprocessed thoughts, our perception of what needs to be done gets distorted and the initial task turns into something repelling.

4. Procrastination sneaked in. Not everywhere or on everything. We choose the get busy, to compensate for our mal-adaptive approach to getting things done. But that one thing we're neglecting is like a splinter in our mind, creating a hole in our energy system. Motivation becomes scarce, we need to rely on willpower.

5. When more than one tasks gets stuck in the background, the head-space of the individual gets cluttered, affecting directly the level of energy and stamina available, irrespective of how much sleep we get. A tunnel vision starts to form and the subject looses grip with a wider picture and more strategic cognitive abilities.

5. Of course closing the curtain doesn't prevent the rain from falling. What was just a task now turns into chore and a nasty one indeed, one that is chasing you with more vigor and stress than was once necessary.

6. Pressure turned into stress, and stress became your personal reality. What was inside is now manifested on the outside. You have lost your response-ability. But this "familiar self" is no more than the smallest version of yourself. The bigger version is just outside the stress circle; and the exit sign reads "Productivity and Efficiency".