The Alchemy of Habits: When Values Meet Daily Life

If we were willing to take a new definition of productivity seriously, who knows what else might change?

In the quiet along the Mediterranean, where I find myself currently, I often reflect on the journey that brought me here. As a self-described "recovering overachiever" and the world's first certified "Make Time" coach (imagine needing to be certified in making time!), I've spent nearly two decades exploring the intricate dance between our values and our daily habits.

This journey has led me to a fascinating discovery: that the key to sustainable productivity seems to lie in aligning our actions with our deepest beliefs.

My quest began, as many great adventures do, with a simple walk in the woods. It was a crisp autumn morning, and as the leaves crunched beneath my feet, I found myself reflecting on the moments in my life when I felt truly alive.

It was during this walk that I had an epiphany: my core values — creativity, learning, health, connection, and a bond with nature — were the compass I needed to navigate the complexities of modern life.

Uncovering Our Core Values: A Thought Experiment

This revelation led me down a path of exploration that would shape my career as a coach in productivity, well-being, creativity, and writing. I began to wonder: what if we all took the time to uncover our core values? What if we examined our peak experiences, our passions, even our irritations, to understand what truly drives us?

It's an intriguing thought experiment, isn't it? Imagine for a moment that you could distill your entire being into a few fundamental principles. What would they be? Would you value adventure over stability? Creativity over structure? Connection over solitude? The answers to these questions, I've found, can be surprisingly revealing.

From Theory to Practice: Real-Life Transformations

But my curiosity didn't stop there. I wanted to know what would happen if people actually tried to live by these values, day in and day out. It's one thing to say you value creativity or health or connection. It's quite another to reshape your daily life around these ideals.

John's Story: The Power of Small Changes

Take, for example, the case of John, one of my clients. John was your typical high-flying executive, burning the candle at both ends, living on coffee and adrenaline. He came to me feeling burned out, disconnected from his work, and unsure of his direction. When we started exploring his core values, John realized that health was at the core of who he wanted to be. This realization was the catalyst for a remarkable transformation.

John didn't overhaul his entire life overnight. Instead, he made small, almost imperceptible changes. He set his alarm 30 minutes earlier for a quick morning workout. He started preparing healthy meals on Sundays. He began taking short walks during his lunch break, using this time to clear his mind and reconnect with his body.

These tiny adjustments, repeated day after day, began to compound. Weeks turned into months, and John found himself transformed. Not just physically, but in his entire approach to work and life. His energy levels soared, his focus sharpened, and he found a renewed sense of purpose in his work. By aligning his daily habits with his core value of health, John had inadvertently unlocked a new level in his life both in terms of productivity and satisfaction.

Sarah's Balancing Act: Aligning Work and Personal Values

Or consider Sarah, another of my clients. Sarah was caught in the all-too-familiar trap of trying to balance a demanding career with family life and personal growth. Sound familiar? When Sarah first came to me, she was overwhelmed, constantly feeling like she was failing in one area of her life or another.

When Sarah took a step back and reassessed her values, she made a surprising discovery. Family and personal growth were at the top of her list, yet she was spending the majority of her time and energy on work. This misalignment was the source of her constant stress and dissatisfaction.

Armed with this insight, Sarah made some bold changes. She set clear boundaries around her work hours, making a conscious decision not to check emails or take calls after a certain time in the evening. She dedicated her weekends to family time and self-improvement activities like reading and attending workshops.

At first, Sarah worried that these changes might negatively impact her career. But a curious thing happened. By honoring her values, she became more efficient and effective during her work hours. Her relationships improved, both at home and at work. And perhaps most surprisingly, she felt a renewed sense of purpose and creativity in her professional life.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom: A New Perspective on Productivity

These stories fascinate me because they challenge our conventional wisdom about productivity and success. We often think of productivity as a matter of willpower or time management techniques. But what I've discovered through my work is that true, sustainable productivity might be more about alignment than effort.

Think about it this way: have you ever noticed how effortless it feels to work on something you're genuinely passionate about? Time seems to fly by, and the work itself becomes almost joyful. That's the power of alignment between your actions and your values.

Navigating Challenges: The Role of Psychology and Design Thinking

Of course, this approach isn't without its challenges. Life has a way of throwing curveballs, and sticking to our values isn't always easy. But that's where my background in psychology and design thinking comes into play. I approach these challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities for iteration and growth.

Alex's Creative Journey: Infusing Values into Daily Life

For instance, I once worked with a writer named Alex who valued creativity above all else. Alex had always dreamed of writing a novel but struggled to make progress amid the demands of a day job and family responsibilities. Instead of suggesting a rigid writing schedule, we explored ways to infuse creativity into Alex's daily life.

Alex started small, jotting down ideas during his commute, experimenting with voice-to-text apps while doing household chores, and even involving his children in brainstorming sessions for his story. These small acts of creativity, woven into the fabric of his daily life, not only helped Alex make progress on his novel but also brought a sense of joy and fulfillment to tasks he had previously seen as mundane.

Conscious Productivity: A Journey of Self-Discovery

As I continue to explore these ideas in my coaching practice, I can't help but think: what would happen if we all took this approach? What if, instead of chasing productivity for its own sake, we focused on creating lives that truly reflect who we are and what we believe in?

From Values to Action: The Design Thinking Approach

It's a tantalizing question, and one that I continue to explore in my work. My approach, which I call "Conscious Productivity," isn't about following a rigid set of rules or adopting someone else's system. Instead, it's about embarking on a journey of self-discovery and intentional living.

This journey often begins with  a simple question: What matters most to you? The answers can be surprising, and they often evolve over time. I've seen clients discover values they never knew they had, and rediscover passions they thought they'd left behind years ago.

Once we've identified these core values, the real work begins. How do we translate these abstract concepts into concrete daily actions? This is where the principles of design thinking come into play. We prototype new habits, test them in real-life situations, gather feedback, and iterate.

For some, this might mean redesigning their workspace to foster creativity. For others, it might involve renegotiating their work hours to allow for more family time. The specifics vary, but the underlying principle remains the same: aligning our daily actions with our deepest values.

Redefining Productivity: A New Perspective

As I often tell my clients, productivity isn't just about getting more done. It's about making sure that what you're doing aligns with who you are. This shift in perspective can be transformative. It turns productivity from a chore into a form of self-expression, from an obligation into an opportunity for growth and fulfillment.

In a world that often seems to value busyness over meaning, this perspective offers a refreshing alternative. It suggests that the key to a more productive, fulfilling life might not lie in working harder or longer, but in working in greater alignment with our values, our purpose, our selves.

Conclusion: The Alchemy of a Life Well-Lived

As my walk along the sea draws to a close, I find myself paying more attention to the small details of my day. The satisfaction of a well-crafted sentence, the rejuvenating power of a brisk walk, the joy of a conversation with a friend. These small moments, aligned with our deepest values, seem to me to be the building blocks of a truly productive life. 

If we were willing to take this new definition of productivity seriously, who knows what else might change? After all, in the grand experiment of life, aren't we all seeking that perfect alchemy — the transformation of our values into a life well-lived? Perhaps, in the end, that's the truest measure of success.

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This is the first post in our three-part series on “Conscious Productivity.” Stay tuned for the next installment, where we will explore mindful time management techniques and how they can further enhance your productivity and well-being.