Being fully present and efficient
Can we achieve *presence *and efficiency of outcome at the same time? Such two concepts are often presented in a conflicting way, rather than visualized in harmony with each other. They may coexist if we develop our abilities on both fronts with deliberate practice and close awareness.
*Presence *refers to the ability to fully immerse oneself in the activity at hand, whatever its nature. In the cultural context, societies placing importance on the present moment as opposed to future possibilities are considered low in Future Orientation (GLOBE Study, 1993). Future orientation is a cultural dimension depicted by the GLOBE study, the most comprehensive project on the analysis of cultures and leadership to date.
The type of presence I am alluding to here, however, is a different kind. It does not mean "lack of delayed gratification" or not planning for the future. Rather, it encompasses a way of living founded on a core principle: what is worth doing, it's worth doing right, with a complete commitment and sequentiality to it, at this very moment. Such an approach to life has its pillar in Wu-Wei, the "art of letting things happen." There is minimum resistance applied to activities and events occurring in our reality, but a conscious necessary effort to manage them in the most suitable fashion.
*Efficiency *refers to the ability to carry out an activity "doing the right things in the least amount of time," or using the most appropriate resources that get the job done for the long term. Because of its very definition (composed of a "time" element), the concept of efficiency is often contrasted to presence in the moment. How can you be present (in full commitment and focus) while striving to be as quick as possible?
You can achieve such harmony by focusing deeply on every step of the process. Manual labor (activities that require physical work) appears to be more inducing to such a balance between efficiency and presence compared to intellectual work (this is a general statement not applying to every intellectual work). Think of an artisan pot maker crafting a new pot from nothing. There are specific steps required—which the craftsman would have mastered by heart—to arrive at the final product. The passage between one stage and the next can be made fully present in the moment and fast. In intellectual work, there is such a capability for immersed, focused work when we are on our "maker's" schedule. Makers commit a specific amount of time to the one thing they are building. Such attitude can be particularly visible in the software development world, where bouts of undistracted work are needed in order to make progress on a project.
So, how can we achieve full presence and efficiency of outcome at the same time? We can do so, I would argue, by unleashing our authentic self, fully committing to what it is we are doing, internalizing the concepts mentioned above, experimenting, failing, adjusting, and understanding that we are not this next thought.
Thank you for reading this week's issue of The Weekly Reflection. I appreciate your support and encourage you to reply to this email if you have any feedback or points of discussion.
Until next time,
Simone