Today’s task is designed to help you become more productive and it is deceptively simple: get up from your desk or workspace and find a window. Stand there and look through the window for a full five minutes.
The task is to help you reset your mind, help you let go of the tension and stress of work and to do nothing for five full minutes. Five minutes is an exceptionally long time to stand and look out a window. It’s not so long when you’re reading tweets or scanning for your friends’ Facebook updates, but to stand and look out the window and let your mind rest for just five minutes can be a real trial for some. You may want to find a window in a private space where others won’t interrupt you or wonder what you’re up to (plotting your escape is probably what they’re thinking).
I just tried the exercise for myself and found that within a few moments I relaxed and without thinking about it, took a deep breath and let the tension I didn’t know that I had fall away. I’m fortunate to have a window that overlooks my backyard and into a park. The yellow leaves of the big maple are falling and I noticed a squirrel’s nest, high up in that tree, hiding where I hadn’t seen it before. I could see the bright red of a neighbor’s bush and the almost terracotta color of my wife’s mums, now in full bloom. It’s a good day for color, maybe one of the last before the season turns gray and damp.
When I returned to my desk to write this, the ideas flowed easily and I felt less rushed, less pressured to complete the task before me.
It may take you a few tries to master this task, but when you do, try and do it without consulting a clock or watch. Just go and look out a window until you are ready to return.
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May I suggest upon return a reading of your recent post, Divide Your Attention – You Are A Genius? Charge me up!
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