Savor your way to success

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"The pleasure of doing a thing in the same way at the same time every day, and savoring it, should be noted."
— Arnold Bennett

So I was house sitting for my parents one weekend. I was sitting at their desk, stressing about my big writing project that was due in a few days. I was tweaking my resume, as well as doing a hard hitting writing sample for this corporation.

I tapped one bad idea after another on my dad’s Dell laptop. He constantly raves about this computer. I was a blur of keys, characters, and image uploads, that I didn’t fully realize my appreciation for the fast multi-core processing as well as the amount of storage space until after I had completed the final product, several hours later.

Amidst all of this, my parents call me about a crisis they were having in St. Louis. So I had to make a few calls, and deal with this new situation now as well as my assignment.

Early on in the project phase, I discovered there was no sense in wigging out. That was not going to help the creative process in any way. I needed to remain calm and relaxed. I needed to not let the hectic environment dictate my pace. I needed to stay focused, remain in control and work at a manageable pace.

My dad’s Dell laptop was able to help me accommodate just that. The fast startup was able to keep up with my ideas, the intuitive nature of the software was able to keep up with my unfamiliarity of the machine.

So often, when we are involved in a project, we feel we must be constantly moving. Scampering from one potential catastrophe to the next. But spinning our wheels in idle not only takes energy, it distracts us from details. Instead, [and I love this word], we should savor each experience; even the humdrum ones. If we at least act like we are savoring our tedium, it will make a difference in how we feel about it.

I made a conscious effort to take a deep breath and keep my head about me, even if it meant working slower and more deliberate, savoring each moment. I actually modeled myself after our waitress, Sam, who is able to handle the crowd at the Scottish bar we go to with aplomb. When she is juggling a million different things and I throw in one more, I watch her stop, even if only for a millisecond, take note, and consider. As a result she is much more effective than I could ever hope to be when I am constantly in flight mode.

I decided to be a little more mindful, instead of reactionary. I savored each moment, giving each my full attention. I got a lot more done.  I was able to respond to interruptions, rather than react to them.

I helped my parents out, I finished my project, nonplussed. Now I am savoring my new Lumisource Fiber optic desklamp from become.com , which is the coolest thing ever!

c. 2011