Week 4: Give Full Effort + Day 1: Journal & Set Intentions

Now that you see your priorities clearly and have begun to set intentions, you just need to act on them... But how do you find the inspiration to do that with persistence and vigor, day in and day out?

Full effort (sometimes called exertion) is one of the steps of mental discipline on Buddha’s eightfold path. Buddha urged full effort for awakening the mind, and meditation is the essential practice towards that end.

I'm not going to teach you meditation, though that is a worthy pursuit. Instead, you will practice being mindful as you go about your days, giving attention to your choices in the moment, and aiming for full effort on your priorities. 

Full effort requires:

Attention: You remember your intentions - what it is you want to do and your deepest reasons why - and also notice your emotions, energy, challenges, etc.

A spark of energy and determination: You connect to your excitement for life, and sustain it long enough to accomplish your priorities.

Balance: You hold your intentions lightly in the complexity of life. If you are driven to complete everything on your list at all costs, you may miss an opportunity to grow, to open your heart, to find peace within.

The big question to ask is "How do I find the inspiration that will spark full effort for my priorities, every day, over and over?"

The Full Effort Habit has several parts, which we will take one day at a time. 

A note about wasting time

I am so good at wasting time! By "wasting" I mean playing solitaire, doing a crossword, taking a long bath, reading a mystery novel, listening to music, or watching the ducks swim in their pond.

One of my favorite authors, Eric Maisel, says in his book "Fearless Creating", "Moments are meant to be squandered ... We shouldn't feel guilty about squandering moments, for we understand how absurd it would be to attempt to 'make every second count'."

Moments of unscheduled pleasure (or mindlessness) are rejuvenating and healing, and give our brains time to regroup. It only becomes a problem when moments develop into days, because then we disappoint ourselves.

We need to give full effort for our priorities for part of every day. Maisel calls it "meaning-making", and says that we "need to make some meaning each and every day." If we don't - if we squander our days - we will begin to feel guilty, depressed, and angry with ourselves, and question the meaningfulness of life.

So, we have this push-and-pull need: To accomplish our priorities and make some meaning, and to rest, heal, and enjoy ourselves. I encourage you to notice the threshold of a decision to "waste" time, the Moment of Choice, and touch in with your Inner Guide. Ask:

-Is this a moment truly meant to be wasted? 

-If yes, can I relax and fully enjoy my little escape, with no feelings of guilt? 

-And after my break, how will I dive gracefully back into my day with full effort? 

Day 1: Journal & Set Intentions

Full effort starts with intentions. From now on, on Day 1 you will:

Set intentions for the week - Get out your journal and write "My next week" or some other heading. Write about your priorities in the next week, including your small daily disciplines, and any big projects or tasks that lead you in the direction of your dreams: 

·   Ask yourself, why are these priorities? What are the essential values underlying these tasks, and who will they ultimately serve? List the strongest, most compelling reasons you want to do them, and try to find the words that grab you at the deepest level

·   List potential challenges - parts you don’t enjoy, things you don’t know how to do, or feel blocked on. 

·   Write an intention for each of your priority tasks (or at least for the top few tasks) that captures the possibility of right action. Write your intentions in present tense, using the action + deepest reason model.