I just spent 2 weeks in Solar Valley, China as Visiting Professor at the International Micro Emissions University. During that time I did my climate talk with 450 students and faculty and with 400 employees of Hi Min Solar. In addition, I delivered the Pachamama Alliance “Awakening the Dreamer Symposium” to the students and the employees.
I worked with 12 different groups to enable them to work in a way that they expand their effectiveness and experience satisfaction and peace of mind. Here are the basics of what I said:
My fundamental working principle is I want to live and work with an EMPTY MIND.
When I am with my family I want to be with them. I don’t what to be thinking about what I haven’t gotten done.
When I am sleeping I want to rest. I don’t want to be kept up all night thinking about what I didn’t get done today and what I have to get done tomorrow.
And, I want to feel satisfied and happy with what I do.
Here are my practices:
Before you leave work:
Go over your “to do list” for today and congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished, like a soccer player celebrates when he or she scores a goal.
Write out your “to do list” for tomorrow
During work:
Cross out what you get done as you do it. Acknowledge yourself for getting it done like a soccer player celebrates when he or she scores a goal.
Time off and vacation:
Make a “to do list” when you are on time off or vacation so you can feel you have accomplished something during this time. It can be as simple as, “sleep until noon, take a walk with my wife/husband, visit my brother,” etc.
Being reminded of things:
I keep a small notebook in a pocket wherever I go. When I think of something I want to do or something I want to learn about I don’t want to carry that around in my mind. I want an EMPTY MIND. So, I write it down and put it on a list later. I also keep this notebook by my bed when I sleep in case I wake up in the middle of the night and remember something or have an insight. I can write it down and go back to sleep with an EMPTY MIND.