Head, Heart, Hands - Do You Know What You're Doing?
We all do it – incessantly discharge tasks, so that we can move on to the next one. And sometime, in our haste, overwhelm of tasks that are not completed and are waiting for our attention stops us in our tracks. Why do we bother with completing task after task, since there never seems to be a finish line? This “hum” of never ending tasks usurps our energy and causes us to view work as an irritation, rather than an opportunity.
When we find ourselves diverted from our work by the barrage of demands in our mind, it is because we have not been able to understand the purpose of what it is that we are doing. This occurs when we do not activate all three centers of thinking, i.e., head, heart, and hands. To reduce brain “hum” and accomplish tasks efficiently, we need to be working with purpose using not only our head, but our heart and our hands, as well. Let me explain what I mean.
The head, heart, and hands framework is about finding the balance in what you know, what you feel, and who you are and what you do. In business, we instinctively gear to using information (head) to execute tasks without considering how this approach impacts our attitude/emotions (heart) or our actions (hands) toward our work. If we don’t engage all three activation centers, we end up speeding through tasks just so we can get on to the next one (i.e., think: robots). In the process, we become devoid of feelings toward our work, spiraling through it in the hope that once we complete this task, the next one will be better. This reduces our efficiency and our productivity. It also increases our dissatisfaction with the work.
To become truly efficient and productive in everything we do, we need to focus on our work not only with our head, but also with our heart and our hands. The more we can focus emotionally, the more we are able to productively engage with our work. As a result, our efficiency soars. In fact, one of the best ways to develop focus is by having fun with your work.
Have fun with your work by viewing your work objectively (i.e., place it in your mind’s “hand” to have a good look at what it is you are to do and the purpose of the task). Do you understand what you’re doing or what is expected on this task? When you know what the work is about and how you feel about it, you are able to execute successfully.
Practice engaging with your work using the head, heart, and hands framework to understand what you wish to accomplish and to change your behavior toward your work. The resulting improved efficiency will create a happier “you,” quashing the endless hum of tasks and creating clarity of purpose.
