Day 4 of 4 – Productivity Experiment is Complete

Today is the final day of my 4 day productivity experiment.  All major tasks on the 'honey do' are complete.  Today my wife and I will rest.  You may be asking, "Michael, why are you resting when you are focused on productivity?"  The answer is productivity is meant to be long-term.  These four days were set aside to work on the toughest tasks that have been lingering for too long.  I'm attempting to set up a template for living my best life free of regrets due to my procrastination tendencies.  Rest is an important part of productivity.  Without sufficient rest, burnout occurs.  My template looks like this... six days focused on productivity and one day of rest.  If this is good enough for the Creator of the universe, it's good enough for me.

Should you be interested in setting up your own productivity experiment, I recommend you allocate a specific number of days to do the most challenging priorities in your life.  Mix in some small fun goals that you can work on during your rest breaks while making sure your breaks are no longer than fifteen minutes every two hours.  Start day one with your most challenging item on your priority list and don't stop no matter how long it takes.  

I hit the wall on day 2 while I was mowing the yard after five hours working on priority number 2, sawing and hauling dead trees.   My muscles were sore from standing on a ladder the day before setting up bike racks in our garage.  It was the first time I had to stop before the mowing was done.  I resumed the mowing on day 3 while I tackled the major priority for day 3 – reinstalling the broken door on our outdoor shed.  The hinge was ripped off when the tornadic winds lifted the shed off the ground and landed it in a neighbors back yard two properties away.  Rather than discard the shed, I rebuilt it.  The doors actually work now.  I'm becoming best friends with the folks at Ace Hardware who have been guiding me on my journey.  I'm gaining the confidence I need to build our dream home on wheels from scratch.  Some of my friends question why I don't buy a conversion van already built by experts.  The answer can be found in the productivity experiment that ends today – the joy is in the journey, not crossing the finish line.  I'm fully appreciating the person I'm becoming.  The original Mike Mulligan had his steam shovel, Mary Anne. If I'm able to stay focused, My wife and I will have our 'Five Star Lucy' complete with everything we need to enjoy the next chapter of our lives.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.